Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
- 1 -
METHOD AND PICKING STORAGE FOR STORING AND PICKING ARTICLES
The invention relates to a method and a picking storage for storing and
picking article carriers
that contain articles, in particular foodstuffs from the fresh food sector,
and are stackable, as
described in claims 1 and 24.
From the prior art, picking storages are known in which goods-out units with
different articles
are formed from goods-in units with identical articles (goods-in units with
articles of just one
type).
The goods-out units with different articles are for example required in the
supply of retail
stores and/or branches of food retailers, where articles delivered to a
central warehouse in
large goods-in units are divided into smaller consumption units and assembled
with other arti-
cles for distribution.
The articles are stored in article carriers (containers, cartons). The goods-
in units comprise ar-
tide carrier stacks, which are parked on loading aids (pallets, roll
containers), of multiple arti-
cle carriers arranged on top of one another. For example, on a euro pallet
(1200mm x 800mm)
four article carrier stacks each with a base area of 600mm x 400mm or six
article carrier
stacks each with a base area of 300mm x 400mm are stacked.
The picking storage comprises a delivery zone for the goods-in units, a
storage zone, an order
processing zone and a distribution zone for the goods-out units. In the
delivery zone, automat-
ically operated depalletizing devices are provided in which article carrier
stacks from the
goods-in units are separated. Subsequently, the article carrier stacks are
stored in the storage
zone. In the order processing zone, picking orders are processed by the
required article carrier
stacks being retrieved from the storage zone and being transported to the
reloading devices
(palletizing devices). At the reloading device, individual article carriers or
the entire article
carrier stack are loaded onto a target loading aid (pallet, roll container)
according to the pick-
ing order. The transport between the delivery zone and the storage zone of the
article carrier
stack to be stored is carried out by means of a storage conveyor system and
the transport be-
tween the storage zone and the order processing zone of the article carrier
stack to be picked
is carried out by means of a retrieval conveyor system. Such a picking storage
is described for
example in WO 2015/144139 Al. This known picking storage is predominantly
suitable for
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 2 -
transporting containers, less for transporting cartons. This is due to the
fact that usually it is to
be expected that the cartons absorb humidity and lose stability such that a
stack of multiple
cartons stacked on top of one another is at risk of falling over, in
particular where there are ac-
celeration forces. To counteract this, cartons may more or less be manipulated
individually
only, which strongly minimizes the power of such a picking storage.
WO 2012/127102 Al discloses a picking storage which comprises a delivery zone
for the
goods-in units, a storage zone and a distribution zone for the goods-out
units. The goods-in
units are provided in the delivery zone and container stacks are separated
therefrom. The sep-
arated container stacks are transported into the storage zone by a storage
conveyor system and
are provided at different storage buffer tracks in the storage zone. A gantry
robot, which can
remove individual containers or partial container stacks from the container
stacks and park
them on specified storage places on the base, is arranged in the storage zone.
At each storage
place, there is a stack of multiple containers arranged on top of one another
with identical arti-
cles. Picking is carried out by a gantry robot by individual containers or
partial container
stacks being removed from the container stacks and being assembled to order-
related con-
tainer stacks (goods-out units) on free storage places in the storage zone.
Subsequently, the
order-related container stacks are dispatched onto different retrieval buffer
tracks and are
transported from the storage zone into the distribution zone by the retrieval
buffer tracks and a
retrieval conveyor system. This picking storage is designed merely for storing
and picking
containers, not cartons.
Picking storages in which mobile storage racks are transported by autonomously
displaceable,
driverless transport vehicles are also known, for example from US 2017/022010
Al or WO
2018/039423 Al. The storage racks comprise compartment bases, which are
arranged in su-
perimposed storage planes, on which articles are parked. Receiving an article
carrier stack of
multiple article carriers stacked on top of one another in the respective
storage rack is not pro-
vided.
It is one object of the invention to create an improved method for storing and
picking article
carriers which contain articles and are stackable and a corresponding picking
storage. In par-
ticular, largely trouble-free operation and fast article handling should be
possible regardless of
the article carrier used (containers made of plastic materials or cartons).
The object of the invention is achieved by the following steps:
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 3 -
i) providing autonomously displaceable, driverless transport vehicles in
the picking
storage, said transport vehicles each having a chassis with a drive unit and a
loading platform
arranged on the chassis for receiving a mobile transport loading aid,
ii) providing transport loading aids each for receiving and stabilizing the
position of
at least one article carrier stack of multiple article carriers arranged on
top of one another,
wherein the transport loading aids comprise mobile, empty (first) transport
loading aids,
Iii) providing article carrier stacks of multiple article carriers arranged on
top of one
another in a delivery zone of the picking storage,
iv) transporting empty (first) transport loading aids by the autonomously
displacea-
ble, driverless transport vehicles to a loading station and providing one or
multiple empty
(first) transport loading aid(s) either on one or on multiple automatically
operated loading de-
vice(s) or on a buffer surface close to the loading device(s),
v) loading one of the empty (first) transport loading aids, which is
provided at the
1 5 automatically operated loading device, with at least one article
carrier stack from the delivery
zone by means of the automatically operated loading device,
vi) transporting the (first) transport loading aid loaded with at least one
article carrier
stack in step v) from the loading station to a storage zone by means of the
autonomously dis-
placeable, driverless transport vehicle,
vii) parking the (first) transport loading aid loaded with at least one
article carrier
stack on a storage surface in the storage zone,
viii)storing the (first) transport loading aids loaded with at least one
article carrier
stack or the (first) transport loading aids loaded with individual article
carriers in the storage
zone,
ix) processing a picking order comprising the steps
- transporting one or multiple (first) transport loading aid(s) containing the
arti-
cle carriers required for a picking order from the storage zone to an
unloading
station and providing said (first) transport loading aid(s) either at one or
at mul-
automatically operated unloading device(s) or on a buffer surface close
the unloading device(s) by means of one or multiple autonomously displacea-
ble, driverless transport vehicle(s),
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
-4-
- unloading one or multiple ones of the (first) transport loading aid(s),
which is
(are) provided at the automatically operated unloading device(s), by removing
the article carriers required for processing the mentioned picking order, and
- assembling the article carriers to one order stack on one target loading
aid or to
one order stack on each one of multiple target loading aids for the mentioned
picking order in an order processing zone.
In this regard, it is advantageous that regardless of which article carrier is
used, the article car-
riers can be stacked directly on top of one another in larger numbers. The
article carriers can
be made of different materials, for instance containers made of plastic
materials or cartons can
be used. In the picking storage, either containers or cartons are picked.
However, a combina-
tion of containers and cartons is also conceivable. Likewise, the article
carrier can form differ-
ent dimensions. Usually, a base surface of the article carriers is 600 mm x
400 mm or 300 mm
x 400 mm. The transport trips can be performed more efficiently since a higher
number of ar-
ticle carriers can be transported per transport trip.
For transporting the empty transport loading aids and transport loading aids
loaded with arti-
cle carrier stacks, autonomously displaceable, steerable transport vehicles
(of a driverless
transport system) are used, which are automatically controlled by a
superordinate main com-
puter. Such transport vehicles are known to the person skilled in the art by
"automated guided
vehicles". Such a transport system comprises the transport vehicles, means for
determining
the location and detecting the position of the transport vehicles and means
for transmitting
data to and from the transport vehicles in the transport system. Each
transport vehicle com-
prises a chassis having a drive unit and a loading platform for
receiving/discharging/transport-
ing a mobile (non-stationary) transport loading aid arranged on the chassis.
Different technol-
ogies are known for navigating the transport vehicles. Hence, besides the
track-guided, induc-
tive or optical navigation, laser navigation is also used in which each
transport vehicle is
equipped with a laser scanner that detects stationary reference points in the
environment and
navigates the transport vehicle on the basis of the detected environmental
features. Navigation
is also possible by means of a GPS system, in particular a differential global
positioning sys-
tem (dGPS).
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 5 -
Such a transport system can be integrated into existing picking storages
without any problems
and can be very well adjusted to fluctuating power requirements.
Although, advantageously, the transport vehicles are configured to have the
same perfor-
mance data (travel speed, acceleration values, load suspension and the like),
groups of
transport vehicles having different performance data can be used as well. This
can prove ad-
vantageous where different temperature zones are provided in the picking
storage. In this
case, the transport vehicles of the first group and of the second group can
have different con-
trol electronics or wheels with different material properties.
The provision of article carrier stacks comprises the provision of article
carrier stacks contain-
ing articles of just one type. However, the provision can also solely comprise
the provision of
article carrier stacks containing articles of just one type. An article
carrier stack containing ar-
ticles of just one type consists of multiple article carriers with equal
articles stacked on top of
one another. Although this is rather an exception, the provision can also
comprise the provi-
sion of mixed article carrier stacks. A mixed article carrier stack consists
of multiple article
carriers with different articles stacked on top of one another. In this
regard, the lower article
carriers in the article carrier stack can contain a first article and the
upper article carriers can
contain a second article.
To ensure a sufficient transport safety of high article carrier stacks and
also during dynamic
travel movements of the transport vehicles, transport loading aids are used.
The transport
loading aid can accommodate one or multiple article carrier stack(s) between
side walls on a
base and can delimit these against lateral displacement during the transport
by means of a
transport vehicle. Only by the use of transport loading aids, article carriers
of bad quality, for
example due to moisture absorption, damage and the like, can be transported as
article carrier
stacks on the one hand between a delivery zone and a storage zone and on the
other hand be-
tween a storage zone and an order processing zone.
In one of the method steps, it is provided that empty (first) transport
loading aids are trans-
ported to a loading station by the autonomously displaceable, driverless
transport vehicles
and, there, are provided either at one or multiple automatically operated
loading device(s) or
on a buffer surface close to the loading device(s). The buffer surface is
formed on a base.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 6 -
The (first) transport loading aids are transported from the unloading station
back to the load-
ing station after removal of the last article carrier/article carrier stack
and, there, the empty
(first) transport loading aids are provided either at an automatically
operated loading device or
on the buffer surface. However, in principle, a supplier can also deliver
empty (first) transport
loading aids, which are taken over in the delivery zone and transported to the
loading station.
It is also possible that the transport loading aids comprise mobile loaded
(third) transport
loading aids, which are taken over in the delivery zone and transported
directly to the storage
zone or order processing zone, bypassing the loading station, and are parked
there. The (third)
transport loading aids can be supplied by a supplier.
Loading an empty (first) transport loading aid with article carriers can be
performed according
to different loading methods. Hence, according to a first loading method, an
(entire) article
carrier stack of multiple article carriers stacked on top of one another can
be transferred onto
the first (empty) transport loading aid by means of the loading device.
The article carrier stack is transferred from the loading device onto the
empty (first) transport
loading aid "unamendedly"; however, individual article carriers of the article
carrier stack are
not manipulated. In this context, "unamended" means that no additional picking
order is per-
formed in the loading station, thus a first article carrier with a first
article and a second article
carrier with a second article are assembled to a picked article carrier stack.
This proves advan-
tageous in several aspects:
- Firstly, this proves advantageous for article carriers of carton, since the
stacking
lugs and the stacking recesses that are usually present in the area of the
container
walls remain engaged for mutual positional fixing of the article carriers
stacked on
top of one another, and damage to the stacking lugs and stacking recesses
caused
by repeated lifting and placing of article carriers is avoided.
- Secondly, this proves advantageous where the article carriers are made of a
plastic
material, since the stacking edges that are usually present in the area of the
con-
tainer walls remain engaged for mutual positional fixing of the article
carriers
stacked on top of one another, and wear to the stacking edges caused by
repeated
lifting and placing of article carriers is avoided.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 7 -
- Thirdly, the loading device can be structured particularly
simply, for example it
comprises a stationary holding surface and a pushing device (pusher) by means
of
which the article carrier stack is pushed from the holding surface onto the
empty
(first) transport loading aid (without lifting).
- Fourthly, loading can be carried out very quickly, which is of
significant advantage
in particular where rather less different articles and a high amount of
articles are
picked, as can be the case for example in the food sector. In this regard, the
articles
are supplied by different suppliers and in large amounts within a limited
period of
time. However, the articles must be transported into the storage zone and
subse-
quently picked within a very short time. After the article carrier stacks are
trans-
ported from the delivery zone to the loading station "unamendedly" and are
trans-
ferred onto the empty (first) transport loading aids at one or multiple
loading de-
vices, no delays in processing the supplied articles occur.
Hence, according to a second loading method, a "pre-picked" article carrier
stack of multiple
article carriers stacked on top of one another can be transferred onto the
first (empty) transport
loading aid by means of the loading device. In this context, "pre-picked"
means that an addi-
tional picking order is performed in the loading station, thus a first article
carrier with a first
article and a second article carrier with a second article are assembled to a
picked article car-
rier stack. The picking operation can comprise assembling articles to article
groups. An article
group is the gathering of individual articles and/or article carriers to a
group based on a com-
mon property. The common property can for example be a storage temperature.
After loading, the (first) transport loading aid is transported from the
loading station in the de-
livery zone to the storage zone by means of one of the transport vehicles and
is parked on a
free storage place there. The transport vehicle comprises a loading platform,
by means of
which the (first) transport loading aid can be taken over on the transport
vehicle and by means
of which the (first) transport loading aid can be discharged from the
transport vehicle and sup-
ported on the transport vehicle during the travel movement. For this purpose,
the loading plat-
form can for example be designed such that it can be lifted and lowered in
relation to the
chassis.
The (first) transport loading aids can be parked on storage places in the
storage zone. The
storage places are preferably formed on a base in the storage zone on a
storage surface. In the
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 8 -
storage zone, there are (first) transport loading aids which are still loaded
with at least one ar-
ticle carrier, a partial stack of an article carrier stack or a complete
article carrier stack. While
some of the partially unloaded (first) transport loading aids are transported
from the order pro-
cessing zone back into the storage zone after unloading, the completely loaded
(first) transport
loading aid are transported from the delivery zone directly into the storage
zone.
The storage zone is connected, in respect of a conveying stream, to the
loading station in the
delivery zone via some of the transport vehicles of the transport system and
to the unloading
station in the order processing zone via some of the transport vehicles of the
transport system.
The unloading station in the order processing zone can additionally be
connected, in respect
of a conveying stream, to the loading station in the delivery zone via some of
the transport ve-
hicles. In a particular embodiment of the picking storage (Fig. 8), the
unloading station and
the reloading station in the order processing zone can be connected, in
respect of a conveying
stream, to the loading station in the delivery zone and/or the storage zone
via some of the
transport vehicles.
Lastly, for processing one of multiple picking orders (which are
electronically detected in an
order-processing computer), at least one (first) transport loading aid
containing the required
(equal) articles/article carriers is transported from the storage zone to the
unloading station by =
means of one of the transport vehicles. Where different articles/article
carriers are required,
the (first) transport loading aids containing these articles/article carriers
are transported from
the storage zone to the unloading station by means of multiple transport
vehicles. The unload-
ing station comprises one or multiple automatically operated unloading
devices, by means of
which unloading of one or multiple ones of the (first) target loading aid(s)
is performed auto-
matically by removing the article carriers required for processing the
mentioned picking order
and gathering the article carriers on one or multiple target loading aids,
thus without any man-
ual processing steps. In other words, according to this embodiment the
unloading station
forms a fully automatic unloading station.
For example, a picking order comprises article carriers of a first article 24,
article carriers of a
second article 18, article carriers of a third article 3 and article carriers
of a fourth article 3.
The first article is contained in 4 article carrier stacks of 6 article
carriers each. The second ar-
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 9 -
ticle is contained in 3 article carrier stacks of 6 article carriers each. The
third article is con-
tained in an article carrier stack of 6 article carriers. The fourth article
is contained in an arti-
cle carrier stack of 6 article carriers.
The (first) transport loading aid can accommodate an article carrier stack of
preferably up to
twenty (low) article carriers stacked on top of one another.
In the described exemplary embodiment, the (first) transport loading aid can
accommodate an
article carrier stack of up to six (high) article carriers stacked on top of
one another. A first
transport vehicle transports a (first) transport loading aid with a first
article(s) carrier stack
containing the first article(s) from the storage zone to the unloading
station, a second transport
vehicle transports a (first) transport loading aid with a second article
carrier stack containing
the first article(s) from the storage zone to the unloading station, a third
transport vehicle
transports a (first) transport loading aid with a third article carrier stack
containing the first ar-
ticle(s) from the storage zone to the unloading station and a fourth transport
vehicle transports
a (first) transport loading aid with a fourth article carrier stack containing
the first article(s)
from the storage zone to the unloading station.
The (first) transport loading aids are provided at a single unloading device
one after the other
or at least two of the (first) transport loading aid are provided at one
single unloading device
next to one another or at least two of the (first) transport loading aids are
in each case pro-
vided to multiple unloading devices next to one another.
If a previous picking order is still processed at the unloading device(s), the
(first) transport
loading aid(s) can be first parked on a buffer surface close to the unloading
device(s) by the
transport vehicle(s). As soon as the unloading device has unloaded a (first)
transport loading
aid of the previous picking order and the empty (first) transport loading aid
has been trans-
ported away from said unloading device, a (first) transport loading aid of the
present picking
order can be transported from the buffer surface to the unloading device by
means of a
transport vehicle and can be provided there.
Then, the (first) transport loading aid, which is (are) provided at the
automatically operated
unloading device(s), is unloaded by the unloading device by removing the
article carriers re-
quired for processing a picking order.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 10 -
Unloading one or multiple ones of the (first) transport loading aid(s) can
comprise removing
an individual article carrier. If the article carrier is located in an article
carrier stack, the up-
permost article carrier in the stack is removed. Unloading one or multiple
ones of the (first)
transport loading aid(s) can comprise removing a partial article carrier stack
of at least two ar-
ticle carriers stacked on top of one another. If the article carrier is
located in an article carrier
stack, the uppermost article carriers in the stack are removed as a partial
stack. Unloading one
or multiple ones of the (first) transport loading aid(s) can comprise removing
an entire article
carrier stack of all article carriers stacked on top of one another.
According to the last embodiment, the article carrier stack is unloaded from
the (first)
transport loading aid by the unloading device "unamendedly", but individual
article carriers of
the article carrier stack are not manipulated. This proves advantageous in
several aspects:
- Firstly, this proves advantageous for article carriers of carton, since
the stacking
lugs and the stacking recesses that are usually present in the area of the
container
walls remain engaged for mutual positional fixing of the article carriers
stacked on
top of one another, and damage to the stacking lugs and stacking recesses
caused
by repeated lifting and placing of article carriers is avoided.
- Secondly, this proves advantageous where the article carriers are made of
a plastic
material, since the stacking edges that are usually present in the area of the
con-
tainer walls remain engaged for mutual positional fixing of the article
carriers
stacked on top of one another, and wear to the stacking edges caused by
repeated
lifting and placing of article carriers is avoided.
- Thirdly, the unloading device can be structured particularly simply, for
example it
comprises a holding surface and a pushing device (pusher) by means of which
the
article carrier stack is pushed from the (first) transport loading aid onto
the holding
surface (without lifting).
- Fourthly, unloading can be carried out very quickly, which is of
significant ad-
vantage in particular where rather less different articles and a high amount
of arti-
cles are picked, as can be the case for example in the food sector.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 11 -
After or while unloading the (first) transport loading aid(s), the article
carriers are gathered on
one or multiple target loading aids for the mentioned picking order.
Unloading the (first) transport loading aids can also be performed in an order
(sequence) de-
termined by the control system. The article carriers/article carrier stacks
are provided at the
unloading station in this order (Fig. 1) or at the reloading station in this
order (Fig. 7) and are
transferred onto the target loading aid in this order. On the other hand, an
order in the provi-
sion of the (first) transport loading aid(s) at the unloading station (Fig. 1)
or the provision of
the (second) transport loading aid(s) at the reloading station (Fig. 8) can
also be established
via the transport vehicles.
According to the above example, the (unamended) four article carrier stacks
are gathered on a
first target loading aid, i.e. the 24 article carries with the first article.
On a second target load-
ing aid, the (unamended) three article carrier stacks are gathered, i.e. the
18 article carriers
with the second article(s), and a mixed article carrier stack is gathered,
i.e., 3 article carriers
with the third article(s) and 3 article carriers with the fourth article(s) in
an article carrier
stack.
As this example shows, either article carriers of a single article or article
carriers of different
articles can be assembled on a target loading aid (goods-out unit) according
to a picking or-
der.
Despite the fact that the invention is not to be understood as being
restricted to use in the fresh
food sector, this is the preferred field of application. This is mainly
because perishable goods,
such as fresh fruit and vegetables, require a fast turnover of articles and
usually only a limited
number of different types have to be picked at the same time. In general, the
advantages of
this application can also be well implemented in the area of "general
merchandise" or in the
textile sector.
A particularly simple design results if the gathering of the article carriers
for the mentioned
picking order is carried out in such a way that the article carriers removed
from the article car-
rier stack (containing articles of just one type) at the unloading device(s)
or the at least one ar-
ticle carrier stack (containing articles of just one type) removed at the
unloading device(s)
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 12 -
- is/are either discharged onto a stationary conveyor system,
which is arranged be-
tween the unloading device and at least one automatically operated reloading
de-
vice (palletizing), and the article carrier or article carrier stack is (are)
transported
by the conveyor system from the unloading device(s) to the reloading device,
- or is/are discharged onto at least one mobile empty (second) transport
loading aid
comprising the transport loading aids, and the at least one loaded (second)
transport loading aid with the article carrier or article carrier stack is
(are) trans-
ported by an autonomously displaceable, driverless transport vehicle from the
un-
loading device(s) to at least one reloading device.
whereupon the article carrier or the article carrier stack is transferred to a
target loading aid by
the reloading device.
In this way, goods handling in the picking storage can be optimized once
again, since the un-
loading process of the transport loading aids and the reloading process
(palletizing) are decou-
pled from each other. In general, the unloading operation of the transport
loading aids re-
quired less time as compared to the reloading operation (palletizing). After
the unloading pro-
cess has been performed at the unloading station, which is located separately
from the reload-
ing station, the transport loading aids are available earlier for other
transport tasks. This mini-
mizes the number of transport loading aids in the picking storage. In
addition, only the article
carriers and/or article carrier stacks required for the picking order in
question are made availa-
ble at the reloading station, so that there is no need to return article
carriers or article carrier
stacks not required for the picking order in question.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the article carriers
removed from the arti-
cle carrier stack (containing articles of just one type) at the unloading
device(s) or the article
carrier stacks removed at the unloading device(s) are discharged onto the
stationary conveyor
system or the at least one mobile empty (second) transport loading aid one
after the other and
are consecutively transported to the at least one reloading device.
Preferably, the article carri-
ers or article carrier stacks are discharged one after the other onto the
stationary conveyor sys-
tem or the at least one mobile empty (second) transport loading aid in an
order provided by
the packing order of the article carriers at the target loading aid and are
transported in this or-
der one after the other to the at least one reloading device.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 13 -
It is also advantageous if the article carriers removed from the article
carrier stack (containing
articles of just one type) at the unloading device(s) is discharged onto the
stationary conveyor
system or the at least one mobile empty (second) transport loading aid such
that at least one
(pre-picked) article carrier stack of multiple article carriers arranged on
top of one another is
assembled, which is subsequently transported to the at least one reloading
device. Preferably,
the article carriers or article carrier stacks are assembled to (pre-picked)
article carrier stacks
on the stationary conveyor system or the at least one mobile empty (second)
transport loading
aid in an order provided by the packing order of the article carriers at the
target loading aid
and subsequently the (pre-picked) article carrier stacks are consecutively
transported to the at
least one reloading device.
The method according to the invention can also comprise the steps
- acquiring picking orders on an order-processing computer,
- determining the articles (required quantity) required for one of the
picking orders,
- analysis of a stock of those articles which are required for
the mentioned picking
order, which picking order comprises one or multiple first article carrier(s)
con-
taining the article(s) and one or multiple second article carrier(s)
containing the
article(s). and
- assembling the article carriers for the mentioned picking order
in consecutive
picking steps if a required quantity of an article exceeds the stock of said
article,
wherein
i) in a first picking step, the (second) transport loading aid is loaded
with one or
multiple first article carrier(s) at the unloading device, and subsequently
said
(second) transport loading aid is transported from the unloading device to a
buffer surface by means of an autonomously displaceable, driverless transport
vehicle and is buffered there, and
ii) in a second picking step, the (second) transport loading aid is
transported
from the buffer surface to the unloading device by means of an autonomously
displaceable, driverless transport vehicle and is provided there, if a
required
quantity of an article falls below the stock of said article, and subsequently
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 14 -
the (second) transport loading aid is loaded with one or multiple second arti-
cle carriers(s) and
- transporting the (second) transport loading aid from the
unloading device to the
reloading device by means of an autonomously displaceable, driverless
transport
vehicle after steps i) and ii) have been concluded, and
- transferring the article carrier stack onto a target loading
aid by means of the re-
loading device.
The first article carrier and the second article carrier can each contain the
same articles or dif-
ferent articles.
A picking order can comprise multiple first article carriers and/or second
article carriers con-
taining the articles, which are discharged onto the (second) transport loading
aid as partial ar-
ticle carrier stacks by means of the unloading device in the first picking
step and/or second
picking step. So as to not unnecessarily block the unloading device, it proves
advantageous if
the (second) transport loading aid is buffered on a buffer surface for a short
time between the
first picking step and the second picking step.
In practice, it is not uncommon for time delays to occur in the delivery of
articles and for cer-
tain articles to be briefly available in the picking storage only in
insufficient quantities (when
the stock is lower than the required quantity, therefore the stock is lower
than the picking or-
der of articles/article carriers required) or not at all, while other articles
are available in suffi-
ciently high quantities (when the stock is higher than the required quantity,
therefore the stock
is higher than the picking order of articles/article carriers required).
According to this method measure, delays in the replenishment of articles can
be compen-
sated, because the picking order is processed even if not all article carriers
are available in the
stock.
For example, a picking order can include one or multiple article carriers of
salad and one or
multiple article carriers of tomatoes. The article carriers of tomatoes are
not available in suffi-
cient quantity (the stock level can also be zero). The article carriers of
tomatoes are available
in sufficient quantity (the stock level can be the required quantity,
therefore the quantity
needed to cover the picking order). The article carriers of salad can be
already assembled in
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 15 -
the (second) transport loading aid at the unloading device. Then, the (second)
transport load-
ing aid loaded with the article carrier(s) of salad is briefly buffered. As
soon as the article car-
riers of tomatoes are available in a sufficient quantity and the stock covers
the required quan-
tity, the (second) transport loading aid can be provided at the unloading
device and the article
carriers of tomatoes can be assembled there.
The first picking step and the second picking step are preferably carried out
sequentially in
time at an unloading device. If multiple unloading devices are provided in the
unloading sta-
tion, the first picking step can be carried out at a first unloading device
and the second picking
step can be carried out at a second unloading device sequentially in time.
It proves favorable if assembling the article carriers for the mentioned
picking order is carrier
out such that the article carriers removed from the article carrier stack
(containing articles of
just one type) at the unloading device or the article carrier stack
(containing articles of just
one type) is transferred onto a target loading aid by the unloading device.
Such a variant is
particularly suitable if the picking storage has to be set up in a
particularly compact manner.
The following method steps also prove favorable
- transporting a transport loading aid from the unloading station
back to the storage
zone after removal of the article carriers, if not all article carriers have
been re-
moved from the mentioned transport loading aid, and/or
- transporting a transport loading aid from a first unloading
device to a second un-
loading device after removal of the article carriers, if not all article
carriers have
been removed from the mentioned transport loading aid and if said article
carri-
ers are needed at the second unloading device for a picking order, and/or
- transporting a transport loading aid from the unloading device
to a waiting zone in
the unloading station after removal of the article carriers, if not all
article carri-
ers have been removed from the mentioned transport loading aid and if said
article
carriers are needed at the mentioned unloading device or one of the unloading
de-
vices for an already advised picking order, and/or
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 16 -
- transporting a transport loading aid back to the loading
station after removal of the
article carrier stack and providing the transport loading aid either at the
automati-
cally operated loading device or on the buffer surface, if all article
carriers have
been removed from the mentioned transport loading aid.
The main computer controls the transport vehicles depending on the picking
orders that are
actively being processed. If not all articles are required for a first picking
order and the re-
maining articles are sufficient for a second picking order, a transport
vehicle can transport the
transport loading aid containing these articles/article carriers from the
respective unloading
device or reloading device for instance to another unloading device or
reloading device if
these are soon required. Moreover, an intermediate buffering of the transport
loading aid on
the one hand on a buffer surface close to the unloading device or reloading
device is possible
and on the other hand in a waiting zone comprising the unloading station,
which is located at
a shorter distance from the unloading device or reloading device than the
storage zone. Empty
transport loading aids are instead transported to the loading station directly
and via the short-
est way. Thus, path-optimized trips of the transport vehicles result.
The following method steps also prove particularly favorable
- providing a depalletizing station in the delivery zone,
- separating article carrier stacks of an article carrier stack
group (goods-in unit) as-
sembled of article carrier stacks each of multiple article carriers arranged
on top of
one another by means of an automatically operated depalletizing device of the
depalletizing station.
Usually, the article carrier stacks are delivered at the delivery zone as
article carrier stack
groups on pallets or roll containers (delivery load carrier). In this case, an
article carrier stack
group of a depalletizing station is supplied, in which article carrier stacks
of multiple article
carriers, arranged on top of one another, from one article carrier stack group
are separated.
Such article carrier stack groups are most times made up of article carrier
stacks containing
articles of just one type. The article carrier stacks containing articles of
just one type are sub-
sequently loaded onto the transport loading aids in the loading station.
The following method step also proves favorable
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 17 -
- assembling article carrier stacks on the target loading aid (goods-out
unit) with
multiple article carrier stacks by means of the automatically operated
reloading
device (palletizing) of the reloading station.
The following method steps also prove particularly advantageous
- providing a cleaning system with an automatically operated cleaning
robot,
- cleaning the transport loading aids and/or the base in the
loading station and/or
unloading station and/or storage surface in the storage zone by means of the
cleaning robot.
Despite the fact that the automatic cleaning of the transport loading aids
and/or the base in the
loading station and/or unloading station and/or storage surface in the storage
zone by means
of the cleaning robot is preferred, manual cleaning is possible in addition,
too. For instance, it
can be advantageous if the transport loading aids are transported to a
separate washing zone
by the transport vehicles. In the washing zone, alternatively or additionally
to the washing ro-
bot, automatic washing machines, wherein the transport loading aids are
cleaned, can be pro-
vided. The picking system can be cleared at said surface areas for the purpose
of cleaning
such that thorough cleaning is possible. In principle, cleaning is also
possible during operation
of the loading station, unloading station, reloading station and/or traveling
operation of the
transport vehicles.
The following steps also prove advantageous
- providing a first temperature zone in the storage zone, in which the
transport load-
ing aids with the at least one article carrier stack of article carriers
stacked on top
of one another and containing articles of a first article group,
- providing a second temperature zone in the storage zone, in which the
transport
loading aids with the at least one article carrier stack of article carriers
stacked on
top of one another and containing articles of a second article group,
- definition of a first article group and of a second article group, to
which first arti-
cle group articles of a first storage temperature are assigned and to which
second
article group articles of a second storage temperature are assigned, and
detecting
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 18 -
data containing data on the first article group, in particular a first storage
tempera-
ture for the articles, and the second article group, in particular a second
storage
temperature for the articles, on a computer system,
- identifying the article carriers and/or article carrier stacks
and/or transport loading
aids by means of a detection device by reading a data carrier (RFID, barcode)
in
the delivery zone, which data carrier is affixed in each case on the article
carri-
ers and/or article carrier stacks and/or transport loading aids,
- selectively transporting the (first) transport loading aids, each loaded
with at least
one article carrier stack, by means of the autonomously displaceable,
driverless
transport vehicles either in the first temperature zone or second temperature
zone,
- storing the (first) transport loading aids with the at least
one article carrier stack of
article carriers stacked on top of one another and containing articles of the
first ar-
ticle group in the first temperature zone,
- storing the (first) transport loading aids with the at least one article
carrier stack of
article carriers stacked on top of one another and containing articles of the
second
article group in the second temperature zone.
By selectively storing the articles depending on the article group, the high
quality requirement
is met. For example, in the food sector (fresh food sector), the first
temperature zone can have
a temperature range of 2 C to 7 C and the second temperature zone can have a
temperature
range of 10 C to 15 C.
The following steps are also advantageous
- transporting one or multiple (first) transport loading aid(s) containing
the article
carriers required for a first picking order from the first temperature zone
and trans-
porting one or multiple (first) transport loading aid(s) containing the
article carri-
ers required for a second picking order from the second temperature zone to
the
unloading station by means of a shared, automatically operated unloading
device,
- providing the mentioned (first) transport loading aid(s) for
the first picking order
either at the automatically operated unloading device or on a buffer surface
near
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 19 -
the unloading device by means of the autonomously displaceable, driverless
transport vehicle(s),
- providing the mentioned (first) transport loading aid(s) for the second
picking or-
der either at the automatically operated unloading device or on a buffer sur-
face near the unloading device by means of the autonomously displaceable, driv-
erless transport vehicle(s),
- sequentially assembling article carrier stacks on a first target loading
aid (goods-
out unit) with multiple article carrier stacks of article carriers stacked on
top of
one another and containing articles of a first article group, and assembling
article
carrier stacks on a second target loading aid (goods-out unit) with multiple
article
carrier stacks of article carriers stacked on top of one another and
containing arti-
cles of a second article group at the removal station with a shared,
automatically
operated removal device or reloading station with a shared, automatically
operated
reloading device.
Regardless of the temperature zone from which the articles/article carriers
are retrieved, they
can be manipulated at the same removal station or reloading station. This
simplifies the com-
plexity of the picking system and also reduces the acquisition costs.
Particularly quick loading of the transport loading aids is achieved if the
article carrier stacks
with which the (first) transport loading aids in the loading station are
loaded, are each assem-
bled of article carriers with equal articles arranged on top of one another.
Hence, the articles
can be transported from the delivery zone into the storage zone immediately
after their deliv-
ery, such that large amounts of articles can also be processed very quickly.
Thus, the goods
receipt is accelerated.
The method measures comprising the following steps are also advantageous
- providing stack loading aids in each case for stabilizing the position of
an order
stack assembled of the article carriers according to the mentioned picking
order,
of which the stack loading aids comprise at least one first stack loading aid
and/or
at least one second stack loading aid, and which, in turn, comprise a base and
stack walls connected thereto,
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 20 -
- lading the first stack loading aid with a target loading aid at
a lading station by
means of one or multiple automatically operated lading device(s), by the
target
loading aid being parked on the base if a first stack loading aid is used in
the pick-
ing storage, and/or
- defining the second stack loading aid as the target loading aid if a
second stack
loading aid is used in the picking storage.
The use of the first stack loading aid or second stack loading aid allows for
the reliable
transport of the order stack regardless of which article carriers have been
stacked. Hence, arti-
cle carriers, in particular containers and cartons can be stacked mixed.
Practice has shown that
it is sufficient if the first stack loading aid/second stack loading aid have
a first stack wall and
a second stack wall. A stack layer is filled starting from the corner from
back to front and
from left to right or from right to left. On the other hand, a stack layer can
be filled starting
from the comer from left to right or from right to left and back to front. An
article carrier can
be positioned and stacked precisely in the corner by the transfer device (in
particular a clamp-
ing gripper unit). In this way, the order stack is given a high degree of
stability.
A first stack loading aid can be used in the picking storage when the target
loading aid with
the order stack is delivered to the customer. A second stack loading aid can
be used in the
picking storage if the target loading aid is to be exchanged by a distribution
load carrier, pref-
erably a roll container, a pallet and the like. The distribution load carrier
is for example loaded
with the order stack in the load securing station and then delivered to the
customer.
The following steps also prove advantageous
- transporting stack loading aids by means of the autonomously
displaceable, driv-
erless transport vehicles to the unloading station and providing one or
multiple
stack loading aid(s) either on one or on multiple automatically operated
unloading
device(s) or on a buffer surface close to the unloading device(s), and
- assembling the article carriers according to the mentioned
picking order to the or-
der stack on the target loading aid in the first stack loading aid or on the
base of
the second stack loading aid, said first stack loading aid or second stack
loading
aid being provided at the automatically operated unloading device(s).
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 21 -
Like the transport loading aids, the stack loading aids can also be
transported between the
loading station and the unloading station by means of the autonomously
displaceable, driver-
less transport vehicles. Either those transport vehicles that also transport
the transport loading
aids can be used, or additional autonomously displaceable, driverless
transport vehicles are
provided, which assume the transport of the stack loading aids.
In the picking storage, article carriers (which cannot be picked
automatically), so-called "ugly
article carriers", can also be picked manually. While a large part of the
article carrier, namely
more than 90% of the overall article carrier assortment, is automatically
picked by means of
the automatically operated unloading device(s), the remaining part of the
article carriers is
manually picked at the partially automated unloading device(s). Automatic
picking of article
carriers is in particular possible if these have a first longitudinal
dimension of approx. 600
mm or a second longitudinal dimension of approx. 300 mm or a third
longitudinal dimension
of between 600 mm and 300 mm. A width can amount to between 300 mm and 400 mm.
If
the article carriers have a longitudinal dimension of less than 300 mm and/or
if the article car-
riers have a lower dimensional stability, they are picked manually.
In this regard, the following steps prove advantageous
- providing one or multiple automatically operated second loading
device(s),
- providing article carrier stack groups of multiple article
carrier stacks arranged
next to one another with article carriers arranged on top of one another in
the de-
livery zone of the picking storage,
- providing empty (third) transport loading aids each for
receiving and stabilizing
the position of an article carrier stack group,
- transporting empty (third) transport loading aids by means of
the autonomously
displaceable, driverless transport vehicles to the loading station and
providing one
or multiple empty (third) transport loading aid(s) either on one or on
multiple au-
tomatically operated second loading device(s) or on a buffer surface close to
the
second loading device(s),
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 22 -
- loading one of the empty (third) transport loading aids, which
is provided at the
automatically operated second loading device, with at least one article
carrier
stack group from the delivery zone by means of the automatically operated
second
loading device,
- transporting the (third) transport loading aid loaded with the article
carrier stack
group from the loading station to the storage zone by means of the
autonomously
displaceable, driverless transport vehicle,
- parking the (third) transport loading aid loaded with at least
one article carrier
stack on the storage surface in the storage zone, and
- storing the (third) transport loading aid loaded with the article carrier
stack group
in the storage zone,
processing a picking order comprises the following steps
- transporting one or multiple (third) transport loading aid(s)
containing the article
carriers required for the picking order from the storage zone to the unloading
sta-
tion and providing said (third) transport loading aid(s) either at one or at
multiple
partially automated unloading device(s) or on a buffer surface close the
unloading
device(s) by means of one or multiple autonomously displaceable, driverless
transport vehicle(s),
- manually unloading one or multiple ones of the (first)
transport loading aid(s),
which is (are) provided at the partially automated unloading device(s), by
remov-
ing the article carriers required for processing the mentioned picking order,
and
- manually assembling the article carriers on one or multiple
target loading aids for
the mentioned picking order, if the target loading aid(s) is (are) provided at
the
partially automated unloading device(s).
Providing the mentioned (third) transport loading aid(s) at one or multiple
partially automated
loading device(s) may comprise the following steps
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
-23 -
- Taking over of a (third) transport loading aid from an
autonomously displaceable,
driverless transport vehicle to a lifting platform of the unloading device(s),
and
- serving the article carriers at a serving level by lifting the
(third) transport loading
aid, which is parked on the lifting platform, in order to enable ergonomic
unload-
ing of the article carriers by a picker.
This enables ergonomic working even during manual picking (unloading the
article carriers
from the transport loading aid and loading the target loading aid with article
carriers).
According to an embodiment of the invention, the method comprises the
following steps
- transporting empty target loading aids by means of the autonomously
displaceable,
driverless transport vehicles to the unloading station and providing said
empty tar-
get loading aids either at one or at multiple partially automated unloading de-
vice(s) or on a buffer surface close the unloading device(s) by means of one
or
multiple autonomously displaceable, driverless transport vehicle(s), and
- manually assembling the article carriers on one or multiple
empty target loading
aids for the mentioned picking order, if the empty target loading aid(s) is
(are)
provided at the partially automated unloading device(s).
In this case, different article carriers (articles) are assembled to a picking
order on a target
loading aid.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the method comprises the
following steps
- transporting partially loaded target loading aids by means of the
autonomously
displaceable, driverless transport path from the automatically operated
unloading
device to the partially automated unloading device or to a buffer surface
close w
the partially automated unloading device(s) after the articles carriers have
been as-
sembled on the partially loaded target loading aid at the automatically
operated
unloading device and if article carriers are still required for the mentioned
picking
order which are provided via the (third) target loading aids at the partially
auto-
mated unloading device(s), and
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 24 -
- manually assembling the article carriers on one or multiple
partially loaded target
loading aids for the mentioned picking order, if the partially loaded target
loading
aid(s) is (are) provided at the partially automated unloading device(s).
The picking order comprises article carriers (articles) which can be
automatically picked at an
automatically operated unloading device, and article carriers which have to be
picked manu-
ally at a partially automated unloading device. First, the article carriers
(articles) on the target
loading aid are picked at the automatically operated unloading device. Then,
the target load-
ing aid with the order stack is transported to the partially automated
unloading device by an
autonomously displaceable, driverless transport vehicle. Then, picking of the
order stack is
finished there manually.
The following steps according to the invention are also advantageous
- transporting stack loading aids by means of the autonomously
displaceable, driv-
erless transport vehicles to the unloading station and providing one or
multiple
stack loading aid(s) either on one or on multiple partially automated
unloading de-
vice(s) or on a buffer surface close to the unloading device(s), and
- assembling the article carriers according to the mentioned
picking order to the or-
der stack on the target loading aid in the first stack loading aid or on the
base of
the second stack loading aid, said first stack loading aid or second stack
loading
aid being provided at the partially automated unloading device(s).
As already described above, reliable transport of the order stack is possible
by means of the
first stack loading aid/second stack loading aid, irrespective of which
article carriers have
been stacked. In case of manual picking, a stack layer is also filled starting
from the comer
from back to front and from left to right or from right to left. On the other
hand, a stack layer
can be filled starting from the comer from left to right or from right to left
and back to front.
An article carrier can be positioned and stacked precisely in the corner by
the picker. In this
way, the order stack is given a high degree of stability.
It also proves advantageous if the method comprises the following steps
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 25 -
- providing an order stack load securing station either with one
or multiple automat-
ically operated load securing device(s) or with one or multiple automatically
oper-
ated load securing device(s) and a buffer surface close to the load securing
de-
vice(s), said load securing devices being formed with a securing means for
secur-
ing transport of an order stack,
- transporting stack loading aids each loaded with at least one
order stack by means
of the autonomously displaceable, driverless transport vehicles to the
mentioned
order stack load securing station and providing one or multiple stack loading
aid(s) either on one or on multiple automatically operated load securing
device(s)
or on a buffer surface close to the load securing device(s),
- removing the order stack from the stack loading aid by means of
a lifting device,
by means of which the target loading aid with the order stack is lifted from
the
first stack loading aid, if the picking storage comprises the first stack
loading aid,
or by means of which the order stack is lifted from the second stack loading
aid if
the picking storage comprises the second stack loading aid,
- securing the order stack with the securing means by means of
the automatically
operated load securing device, in that the securing means is placed
circumferen-
tially around the order stack, and
- transporting the secured order stack, in particular by means of
the autonomously
displaceable, driverless transport vehicles, from the load securing station to
a dis-
tribution zone,
Transporting the unloaded stack loading aids by means of the autonomously
displaceable,
driverless transport vehicles, comprising:
- transporting the first stack loading aid from the load securing
station to the lading
station with one or multiple automatically operated lading device(s), if a
first
stack loading aid is used in the picking storage, and/or
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 26 -
- transporting the second stack loading aid from the load
securing station to the un-
loading station and providing the second stack loading aid(s) either at an
automat-
ically operated unloading device or on a buffer surface close to the reloading
de-
vice, if a second stack loading aid is used in the picking storage.
A "central" load securing station is provided, to which the order stacks with
a first stack load-
ing aid/second stack loading aid or the order stacks without a first stack
loading aid/second
stack loading aid are transported by means of the autonomously displaceable,
driverless
transport vehicles. There, the order stack is secured by means of a securing
means, for exam-
ple a winding film or a fastening tape. The "secured" order stacks can
preferably be trans-
ported away by means of the autonomously displaceable, driverless transport
vehicles. It is
also advantageous if the (first) transport loading aid (from which article
carriers are removed)
and/or the (second) transport loading aid (onto which article carriers are
discharged) has a
base and side walls connected thereto, at least one (vertically continuous)
accommodating
shaft bounded by the side walls for accommodating at least one article carrier
stack and a
loading and unloading opening, and that the side walls serving to stabilize
the position of the
at least one article carrier stack when the it is parked on the base,
- exclusively comprise first side walls arranged parallel or
inclined to each other, or
- comprise first side walls arranged parallel or inclined to each
other and a second
side wall arranged between these.
In this regard, the base can comprise a parking surface on its upper side, on
which at least one
article carrier stack can be parked, and a transport surface on its lower
side, against which a
loading platform of the transport vehicle can be placed. The (first) transport
loading aid can
form one or multiple accommodating shafts, wherein an accommodating shaft is
bounded by
side walls on at least two sides, preferably three sides. The accommodating
shaft is accessible
on at least one side via the loading and unloading opening. Loading and
unloading the (first)
transport loading aid is carried out via the loading and unloading opening
and, in the simplest
embodiment, by "pushing on" or "pushing off' an article carrier stack. The
parking surface at
the base serves as a sliding surface/pushing surface in this context.
It can also prove advantageous if the second side wall comprises a side wall
part which is in-
clined at an inclination angle towards a vertical plane spanned between the
first side walls
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 27 -
such that the side wall part is inclined backwards with increasing vertical
distance from the
base.
Moreover, it can be provided that the base comprises a base wall part which is
inclined down-
wards in the direction towards the second side wall at an inclination angle
towards a horizon-
tal plane spanned between the first side walls.
The article carriers lean against the side wall part(s) and are displaced with
the center of grav-
ity in the center direction of the transport loading aid as the height
distance from the floor in-
creases. By means of the transport loading aids, particularly high article
carrier stacks can be
transported reliably, even if the autonomously displaceable, driverless
transport vehicles are
driven dynamically. Moreover, the transfer device is enabled to perform
improved removal of
the article carriers from the transport loading aid.
It proves advantageous if the picking storage uses one or multiple stack
loading aids in each
case for stabilizing the position of an order stack assembled of the article
carriers according to
the mentioned picking order, which comprise at least one first stack loading
aid and/or at least
one second stack loading aid, and which, in turn, comprise a base and stack
walls connected
thereto.
Preferably, the at least one first stack loading aid at the base on its upper
side forms a parking
surface on which a target loading aid, in particular a pallet, with the order
stack stacked
thereon can be parked.
Preferably, the at least one second stack loading aid at the base on its upper
side forms pro-
truding parking blocks separated from each other by receiving channels, on
which the article
carriers of the order stack can be parked, so that the at least one second
stack loading aid
forms the target loading aid.
According to an embodiment, it is provided that the base of the first stack
loading aid/second
stack loading aid on its lower side comprises a transport surface against
which a loading plat-
form of the transport vehicle can be placed.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 28 -
It is also advantageous if the picking storage comprises an order stack load
securing station
either with one or multiple automatically operated load securing device(s) or
with one or mul-
tiple automatically operated load securing device(s) and a buffer surface
close to the load se-
curing device(s),
- said load securing device being formed with a securing means for secure
transport
of an order stack, and
- which comprises a lifting device, by means of which the target
loading aid with
the order stack is lifted from the stack loading aid, if the picking storage
com-
prises the first stack loading aid, or by means of which the order stack is
lifted
from the stack loading aid if the picking storage comprises the second stack
load-
ing aid, in order to stabilize the order stack with the securing means.
The invention also relates to a transport device for unloading a transport
loading aid with arti-
cle carriers stacked on top of one another and for loading a target loading
aid with article car-
riers by clamping gripping and an unloading station for a picking storage, as
described in
claims 34, 39 and 40.
A vacuum gripping system for gripping at least one article carrier is known
from DE 199 59
285 B4, which comprises a base frame and at least one suction unit arranged on
the base
frame, wherein a loading tongue is arranged on the base frame. The loading
tongue can be
pushed at least partially under at least one of the article carriers lifted by
the suction unit. The
vacuum gripping system can be used on smooth surfaces only, which
significantly limits the
range of applications. In particular, containers with ribs and recesses are
usually used in a
picking storage, which almost completely exclude the use of the vacuum
gripping system.
Thus, only cartons can be gripped.
It is an object of the invention to create an improved transport device for
unloading a transport
loading aid with article carriers stacked on top of one another and for
loading a target loading
aid with article carriers by clamping gripping and an unloading station for a
picking storage.
In particular, largely trouble-free operation and fast article handling should
be possible re-
gardless of the article carrier used (containers made of plastic materials or
cartons).
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 29 -
The object of the invention is achieved by a transfer device, which comprises
- a base frame,
- loading tongues movable by first drive devices relative to the base frame
and in a
first direction (y) independently of one another between a retracted starting
posi-
tion and an extended receiving position, said loading tongues receiving at
least
one article carrier in an extended receiving position,
- clamping jaws movable relative to one another in a second direction (x)
by at least
one second drive device between a retracted opened position and an abutting
clamping position for clampingly gripping at least one article carrier,
- a lift frame (256) movable in a third direction (z) relative to the base
frame by
means of a third drive device, on which lift frame the clamping jaws are
stored
and by means of which the clamping jaws are movable between a lower height
position and an upper height position, such that, for unloading the transport
load-
ing aid
- the at least one article carrier can be lifted by the clamping jaws set
against
the at least one article carrier, and
- at least one of the loading tongues can be pushed at least
partially under the at
least one article carrier lifted by the clamping jaws in order to accommodate
the at least one article carrier in the extended receiving position.
The transfer device comprises a clamping gripper unit with a first clamping
jaw and a second
clamping jaw, in the abutting clamping position, are applied in a force-fit
against the article
carrier walls of an article carrier facing away from each other or of article
carriers arranged
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 30 -
next to one another. Almost regardless of how the article carrier walls arc
designed, a suffi-
ciently high clamping is possible to lift the at least one article carrier
such that at least one of
the loading tongues can be pushed at least partially under the at least one
article carrier lifted
by the clamping jaws. When the at least one article carrier is located on the
at least one load-
ing tongue, which is extended into the receiving position, the weight of the
at least one article
carrier rests on the loading tongue.
According to an embodiment, the stop device is provided with one or multiple
stop elements
which can be placed against the at least one article carrier can be placed.
The at least one article carrier can be positioned on the loading tongue and
against the stop el-
ements. Additionally, the at least one article carrier can be centered between
the clamping
jaws. Hence, the at least one article carrier can be discharged onto a target
loading aid in a
precise positional orientation.
It also proves advantageous for the first clamping jaw to be arranged on a
first clamping jaw
frame and for the second clamping jaw to be arranged on a second clamping jaw
frame and
for one of the first and second clamping jaw frames to be adjustable in a
second direction (x)
at least between a first configuration width and a second configuration width
by means of at
least one fourth drive device, so as to receive an article carrier with the
first longitudinal di-
mension in the first configuration width between the first clamping jaw and
the second clamp-
ing jaw and to receive an article carrier with the second longitudinal
dimension in the second
configuration width between the first clamping jaw and the second clamping
jaw.
Hence, by means of the transfer device, first article carriers with a first
longitudinal dimension
and/or second article carriers with a second longitudinal dimension can be
unloaded from a
transport loading aid with article carriers stacked on top of one another and
can be loaded
onto a target loading aid. The first longitudinal dimension and the second
longitudinal dimen-
sion differ.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 31 -
A particularly advantageous design of the transfer device is achieved if the
second drive de-
vice and one of multiple stop elements of the stop device are also mounted on
the first or sec-
ond clamping jaw frame, which can be adjusted in a second direction (x) by
means of the at
least one fourth drive device.
It can also prove advantageous if at least one of the clamping jaws for
loading the target load-
ing aid is additionally movable in the first direction (y) relative to the
frame into a retracted
release position by means of a fifth drive device.
In the retracted release position, the stop element(s) project(s) beyond the
mentioned at least
one clamping jaw, such that, for loading the target loading aid, the at least
one article carrier
can be stacked onto the target loading aid unhindered by the at least one
loading tongue. Thus,
said clamping jaw also does not hinder placing an article carrier just next to
a stack wall of a
stack loading aid, if stack loading aids are used in the picking storage,
and/or an article carrier
wall of an article carrier already placed at the order stack. Moreover,
clamping of an article
carrier can be maintained until just before discharge of the article carrier
onto the order stack.
The object of the invention is also achieved by an unloading station for a
picking storage,
which comprises at least one automatically operated unloading device with a
transfer device,
which is spatially movable in relation to a support construction, for
unloading a transport
loading aid and for loading a target loading aid with article carriers having
the same and/or
different longitudinal dimensions by clamping gripping.
However, the object of the invention is also achieved by an unloading station
for a picking
storage comprising at least one automatically operated unloading device with a
transfer de-
vice, which is spatially movable in relation to a support construction, for
unloading a transport
loading aid with articles carriers stacked on top of one another and/or next
to one another in a
stack layer by clamping gripping, said transfer device comprising
- a base frame,
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 32 -
- loading tongues movable by first drive devices relative to the
base frame and in a
first direction (y) independently of one another between a retracted starting
posi-
tion and an extended receiving position,
- clamping jaws movable relative to one another in a second
direction (x) by at least
one second drive device between a retracted opened position and an abutting
clamping position, and
- a lift frame (256) movable in a third direction (z) relative to
the base frame by
means of a third drive device, on which lift frame the clamping jaws are
stored
and by means of which the clamping jaws are movable between a lower height
position and an upper height position,
- wherein a first clamping jaw of the clamping jaws is arranged
on a first clamping
jaw frame and a second clamping jaw of the clamping jaws is arranged on a sec-
ond clamping jaw frame and one of the first and second clamping jaw frames can
be adjusted in a second direction (x) at least between a first configuration
width
and a second configuration width by means of at least one fourth drive device,
and
- wherein the first drive device, second drive device, third
drive device and fourth
drive device are connected to a control device of the unloading device,
wherein the control device is configured for controlling the transfer device
and its drive de-
vices so as to carry out subsequent method steps for unloading one of the
article carriers ar-
ranged next to one another in a stack layer
- moving the transfer device relative to the article carrier
stacks in the transport
loading aid,
- positioning the clamping jaws relative to a stack layer and
laterally besides article
carrier walls of the article carriers arranged next to one another by moving
the
transfer device,
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 33 -
- clamping the article carriers arranged next to one another by
actuating the at least
one second drive device in order to move the clamping jaws relative to one an-
other in the second direction (x) and from a retracted opened position into
the
abutting clamping position,
- lifting the article carriers arranged next to one another of at least one
stack layer
by means of the clamping jaws placed against the article carriers at the
article car-
rier walls by actuating the at least one third drive device so as to move the
lift
frame in the third direction (z) relative to the base frame and the clamping
jaws
out of the lower height position into the upper height position,
- sliding one of the loading tongues under one of the article carriers,
which are
lifted and arranged next to one another, by actuating the first drive devices
relative
to the base frame to receive the one of the article carriers in the extended
receiving
position,
- releasing the clamping of the article carriers by actuating the
at least one second
drive device in order to move at least one of the clamping jaws in the second
di-
rection (x) from the abutting clamping position into the retracted opened
position,
such that the article carrier which is not supported from below tilts back
onto the
article stack in the transport loading aid,
- changing the configuration width from the first configuration
width to the second
configuration width by means of the at least one fourth drive device in a
second
direction (x), and
- clamping the article carrier, which is received on the loading
tongue moved into
the extended receiving position, by actuating the at least one second drive
device
in order to move the clamping jaws relative to one another in the second
direction
(x) and from a retracted opened position into the abutting clamping position.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
= =
- 34 -
The transfer device allows for the separation of article carriers from one
stack layer or separa-
tion of a partial article carrier stack from stack layers. A partial article
carrier stack is under-
stood as a stack of at least two article carriers arranged on top of one
another. This enables
storage of two article carrier stacks closely next to each other in a
receiving shaft of a
transport loading aid. The article carrier stacks can support one another such
that a reliable
transport is possible also in case of a small base area of the article
carriers and high article
carrier stacks.
However, by means of the transfer device according to the invention, unloading
from the
transport loading aid and/or reloading onto a target loading aid can be
carried out separately
for article carriers of a first longitudinal dimension, pair-wise for article
carriers of a second
longitudinal dimension, separately for partial article carrier stacks or pair-
wise for partial arti-
cle carrier stack of a second longitudinal dimension.
For the purpose of better understanding of the invention, it will be
elucidated in more detail
by means of the figures below.
These show in a respectively very simplified schematic representation:
Fig.1 a first embodiment of a picking storage for storing and
picking articles in a
perspective view;
Fig. 2a an unloading station (reloading station) of the picking
storage of Fig. 1 in an
enlarged view;
Fig. 2b a loading station of the picking storage of Fig. 1 in an enlarged
view;
Fig. 3 a transport vehicle (automated guided vehicle) in a
perspective view;
Figs. 4a, 4b a first embodiment of an (non-loaded) transport loading aid
without article
carriers, and a (loaded) transport loading aid with article carriers, in a per-
spective view;
Figs. 5a, 5b a second embodiment of an (non-loaded) transport loading aid
without arti-
cle carriers, and a (loaded) transport loading aid with article carriers, in a
perspective view;
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 35 -
Figs. 6a, 6b a third embodiment of an (non-loaded) transport loading aid
without article
carriers, and a (loaded) transport loading aid with article carriers, in a per-
spective view;
Fig.7 a second embodiment of a picking storage for storing and
picking articles in
a perspective view;
Fig. 7a an unloading station of the picking storage of Fig. 7 in an
enlarged view;
Fig.8 a third embodiment of a picking storage for storing and
picking articles in a
perspective view;
Fig. 8a an unloading station of the picking storage of Fig. S in an
enlarged view:
Figs. 9a, 9b a fourth embodiment of a picking storage for storing and
picking articles in
a perspective view;
Fig. 10a a loading station of the picking storage of Figs. 9a, 9b
with an automatically
operated first loading device in an enlarged view;
Fig. 10b an unloading station (reloading station) of the picking
storage of Figs. 9a, 9b
with an automatically operated unloading device in an enlarged view;
Fig. 10c an unloading station (reloading station) of the picking
storage of Figs. 9a, 9b
with a partially automated unloading device in an enlarged view;
Fig. 10d a loading station of the picking storage of Figs. 9a, 9b
with an automatically
operated second loading device, a lading station and a load securing station
in an enlarged view;
Figs. 11a, 1 lb a fourth embodiment of an (non-loaded) transport loading
aid without article
carriers, and a (loaded) transport loading aid with article carriers, in a per-
spective view;
Fig. 11c the (non-loaded) transport loading aid according to Fig.
lla in a sectional
view;
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 36 -
Figs. 12a, 12b a (non-loaded) first stack loading aid and a first stack
loading aid (loaded
with an order stack) in a perspective view;
Fig. 12c a (non-loaded) second stack loading aid in a perspective
view;
Figs. 13a, 13b a transfer device for an automatically operated unloading
device in perspec-
tive views;
Figs. 13c, 13d the transfer device in section according to Figs. 13a, 13b
in perspective
views;
Figs. 14a, 14b the transfer device according to Figs. 13a, 13b, with an
article carrier of a
(long) first longitudinal dimension according to Fig. 14a and with an article
carrier of a (short) second longitudinal dimension according to Fig. 14b in
perspective views;
Figs. 15a to 15g a sequence for an unloading operation of an article
carrier from a
transport loading aid, using the example of an article carrier with a
(long) first longitudinal dimension;
Figs. 15h to 15n a sequence for a loading operation of an article carrier
onto a target
loading aid, using the example of an article carrier with a (long) first
longitudinal dimension;
Figs. 16a to 16n a sequence for an unloading operation of an article
carrier of a stack
layer from a transport loading aid, using the example of article earn-
ers with a second longitudinal dimension each.
First of all, it is to be noted that in the different embodiments described,
equal parts are pro-
vided with equal reference numbers and/or equal component designations, where
the disclo-
sures contained in the entire description may be analogously transferred to
equal parts with
equal reference numbers and/or equal component designations. Moreover, the
specifications
of location, such as at the top, at the bottom, at the side, chosen in the
description refer to the
directly described and depicted figure, and in case of a change of position,
are to be analo-
gously transferred to the new position.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
-37 -
Figs. 1, 2a and 2b show a first embodiment of a picking storage la for storing
and picking ar-
ticle carriers 3 that contain articles 2 (as only shown in Fig. 4b for reasons
of clarity) and are
stackable. The picking storage la comprises a delivery zone 4, a storage zone
5, an order pro-
cessing zone 6, a plurality of transport loading aids 7 each for accommodating
and stabilizing
the position of at least one article carrier stack 8 and a plurality of
autonomously displaceable,
driverless transport vehicles 9 for transporting transport loading aids 7. The
article carrier
stack 8 is formed by multiple article carriers 3 arranged (stacked) on top of
one another.
In the delivery zone 4, the provision of article carrier stacks 8 is
envisaged. The article carrier
stacks 8 can be provided as separate article carrier stacks 8 and/or as
article carrier stack
groups 10 assembled of article carrier stacks 8 arranged next to one another.
In general, the
provision of individual article carriers 3 would also be possible.
Usually, the article carrier stacks 8 are delivered into the delivery zone 4
as article carrier
stack groups 10 on pallets or roll containers (delivery load carrier). In this
case, an article car-
rier stack group 10 of a depalletizing station is supplied, in which article
carrier stacks 8 of
multiple article carriers 3, arranged on top of one another, from one article
carrier stack
group 10 are separated. Such article carrier stack groups 10 are most times
made up of article
carrier stacks 8 containing articles of just one type.
In contrast to this, the separated article carrier stacks 8 are delivered into
the delivery zone 4
without pallets or roll containers (delivery load carrier). In this case, the
article carrier stacks 8
do not have to be fed to a depalletizing station and a depalletizing station
can be dispensed
with.
Figs. 1 and Fig. 2b show a possible embodiment, in which a depalletizing
station with at least
one automatically operated depalletizing device 11 (schematically adumbrated),
a first con-
veying device 12a following the depalletizing device 11 for supplying article
carrier stack
groups 10 (goods-in units), a second conveying device 12b following the
depalletizing de-
vice 11 for transporting delivery load carriers away, a loading station with
at least one auto-
matically operated loading device 13 (schematically adumbrated), a third
conveying de-
vice 14a connecting, in respect of a conveying stream, the depalletizing
device 11 to the load-
ing station 13 for supplying article carrier stacks 8 and/or a fourth
conveying device 14b con-
fleeting, in respect of a conveying stream, the depalletizing device 11 to the
loading station 13
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 38 -
for supplying article carrier stacks 8 may be provided in the delivery zone 4.
The fourth con-
veying device 14b for supplying article carrier stacks 8 is optional and may
also be omitted.
As not shown in further detail, for example, the depalletizing device 11 can
rotate, clamp and
lift the article carrier stacks 8 along the circumference on at least two
sides and/or lower the
delivery load carrier (pallet) and discharge it by means of the second
conveyor device 12b and
deliver the article carrier stacks 8 to the third conveyor device 14a and the
fourth conveyor
device 14b, by means of which the article carrier stacks 8 can be further
transported individu-
ally and/or in pairs. The article carrier stacks 8 are provided at the loading
device 13 ''una-
mendedly" and each in a transfer position. The first transfer location 15a is
preferably formed
on the third conveying device 14a and the second transfer location 15b is
preferably formed
on the fourth conveying device 14b. In case the fourth conveying device 14b is
not provided,
only the transfer location 15a is provided.
As described in the following, the loading station comprises the at least one
automatically op-
erated loading device 13 (schematically adumbrated) and additionally a buffer
surface 30 near
said loading device 13.
The schematically depicted loading device 13 comprises a first service
location 16a for the
first transport loading aid 7a, an (optional) second service location 16b for
the second
transport loading aid 7b and a transfer device 17 for transferring a first
article carrier stack 8
from the first transfer location 15a onto the first transport loading aid 7a
and possibly for
transferring a second article carrier stack 8 from the second transfer
location 15b onto the sec-
ond transport loading aid 7b. The first service location 16a and the first
transfer location 15a
are arranged so as to be located opposite one another. The optional (second)
service loca-
tion 16b and the optional (second) transfer location 15b are arranged so as to
be located oppo-
site one another.
In concrete terms, the automatically operated loading device 13 comprises a
transfer de-
vice 17 that is movable relative to the transfer location 15a, 15b in order to
move an article
carrier stack 8 (or possibly individual article carriers 3) provided in a
transfer position at the
transfer location 15a, 15b to the transport loading aid 7a, 7b. The transfer
device 17 may be
formed for example by a pusher actuatable by means of an actuating drive. The
transfer de-
vice 17 is arranged above the conveying device 14a, 14b.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 39 -
According to a first embodiment, the loading device 13 may specifically
comprise a gantry
robot. Gantry robots are understood to be industrial robots, which in their
base axes are con-
structed from linear axles. Using a line gantry is sufficient for loading.
The gantry robot comprises vertical standing members, longitudinal beams and
transverse
beams, which are connected to one another, forming a support construction 18.
Additionally,
the gantry robot comprises a gantry slide 19, that is movable in a first
direction (x-direction ¨
horizontal movement) along a guide assembly via a first drive device, and a
gantry arm 20 ar-
ranged on the gantry slide 19. A transfer device 17 is arranged on the gantry
arm 20. The first
drive device comprises a traction drive connected to the gantry slide 19. The
traction drive
comprises an endlessly revolving traction means, which is guided around a
deflection wheel
and a drive wheel coupled with an electric actuating motor. A clockwise or
counter-clockwise
rotating motion of the drive wheel moves the gantry slide 19 and the transfer
device 17
mounted thereon relative to the transfer location 15a, 15b either in a first
pushing direction or
second pushing direction (x-direction). The gantry robot may comprise a
displacement meas-
urement device not depicted, by means of which the readjustment movements of
the gantry
slide 19 (and/or of the transfer device 17) are captured. Here, the
measurement method of ab-
solute and incremental displacement measurement is utilized.
It may prove useful if the gantry arm 20 is also movable in a second direction
(z-direction ¨
vertical movement) along a guide assembly via a second drive device.
In the course of the pushing movement, the first article carrier stack 8a is
moved from the first
transfer location 15a onto the empty first transport loading aid 7a, which is
provided at the
service location 16a, or the second article carrier stack 8b is moved from the
second transfer
location 15b onto the empty second transport loading aid 7b, which is provided
at the second
service location 17b. In Fig. 2b, the first article carrier stack 8a has
already been discharged
onto the first transport loading aid 7a, while the second article carrier
stack 8b is still being
transported to the loading device 13 and the second transport loading aid 7b
is still empty.
The described loading device 13 may be constructed very simply and requires on
principle
only a stationary holding surface (transfer location 15a, 15b) and a pushing
device (pusher),
by means of which the "unamended" article carrier stack 8 is pushed from the
holding surface
onto the empty (first) transport loading aid.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 40 -
According to an embodiment, which is not depicted, the loading device 13 may
comprise a
jointed-arm robot. The jointed-arm robot comprises a gripping system that is
movable relative
to a robot base, by means of which gripping system an "unamended" article
carrier stack 8 (or
possibly individual article carriers 3) can be transferred from the transfer
position on the
first/second transfer location 15a, 15b to the first transport loading aid
7a/second transport
loading aid 7b. In this regard, the "unamended" article carrier stack 8 can be
pushed from the
holding surface (transfer location 15a, 15b) onto the empty (first) transport
loading aid or in-
dividual article carriers 3 can be lifted off the article carrier stack 8 and
parked on the empty
(first) transport loading aid 7a, 7b.
As depicted in Fig. 2b, an empty (first) transport loading aid 7c may be
transported to the ser-
vice location 16a, 16b by means of an autonomously displaceable, driverless
transport vehi-
cle 9 and be parked there. While loading the (first) transport loading aid 7,
7a..7c, said
transport vehicle 9 may be used for other transport purposes.
However, in principle, it is also possible that the autonomously displaceable,
driverless
transport vehicle 9 is transported to the service location 16a, 16b and parked
there but remains
at the service location 16a, 16b while the (first) transport loading aid 7a,
7b is loaded. This is
particularly advantageous if loading the (first) transport loading aid 7,
7a..7c takes place with
an "unamended" article carrier stack 8, 8a..8c as this allows loading to be
carried out particu-
larly quickly and the transport vehicle 9 is "unproductive" only for a short
time.
If a (first) transport loading aid 7a, 7b is already parked at the service
location 16a or if (first)
transport loading aids 7a, 7b are already parked at the service locations 16a,
16b or if the
(first) transport loading aid 7a is or the (first) transport loading aids 7a,
7b are currently being
loaded, the empty (first) transport loading aids 7c, 7d can be buffered on the
buffer surface 30
provided near the loading device 13.
Even though, in the depicted embodiment, the loading station is shown having a
single load-
ing device 13 for reasons of clarity, the number of loading devices 13 may
vary depending on
the required picking performance. For example, the loading station and/or the
picking stor-
age 1 a may have a second loading device 13, third loading device 13 etc.
These loading de-
vices 13 are preferably constructed identically. It also proves advantageous
if a separate
buffer surface 30 is arranged near each loading device 13. However, in
principle, the loading
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 41 -
station may also comprise only one buffer surface 30. The buffer surface 30 is
preferably
formed on a base of the picking storage la.
This way, it is possible that the empty (first) transport loading aid(s) 7d
are buffered on the
buffer surface 30, near the loading device(s) 13, and are transported as
needed to the respec-
tive service location 16a, 16b of the loading device(s) 13 over a short
distance by means of
the transport vehicles 9.
After being loaded (with at least one article carrier stack 8), the (first)
transport loading
aids 7e are transported from the loading station, in particular from the first
loading station 13,
or from the first loading devices 13 to the storage zone 5 by means of the
autonomously dis-
placeable, driverless transport vehicles 9 and are parked on a storage area 31
in the storage
zone 5. The storage surface 31 is preferably formed on a base of the picking
storage la. As
will be described below, by means of the autonomously displaceable, driverless
transport ve-
hicles 9, also at the unloading station, not completely unloaded (partially
loaded) "opened"
(first) transport loading aids 7f are transported from the unloading station
back to the storage
zone 5 and parked on the storage surface 31 in the storage zone 5.
As evident in Figs. 1 and 2a, an unloading station with at least one
automatically operated un-
loading device 32 (schematically adumbrated), a first conveying device 33
following the un-
loading device 32 for transporting completely loaded target loading aids 34a
(goods-out units)
away and optionally a second conveying device 35 following the unloading
device 32 for sup-
plying empty target loading aids 34b are arranged in the order processing zone
6. According
to this embodiment, the unloading station with the automatically operated
unloading de-
vice 32 or the multiple automatically operated unloading devices 32
simultaneously forms a
reloading station with the one automatically operated reloading device
(palletizing device) or
the multiple automatically operated reloading devices (palletizing devices),
by means of
which the article carriers 3 or article carrier stacks 8 are transferred from
the transport loading
aid 7 onto the target loading aid 34c or the target loading aids 34c.
Therefore, the term "un-
loading device" may be used synonymously with "reloading device".
As described in the following, the unloading station comprises the at least
one automatically
operated unloading device 32 (schematically adumbrated). Even though, in the
depicted em-
bodiment, the unloading station is shown having a single unloading device 32
for reasons of
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 42 -
clarity, the number of unloading devices 32 may vary depending on the required
picking per-
formance. For example, the unloading station and/or the picking storage la may
have a sec-
ond unloading device 32, third unloading device 32 etc. These unloading
devices 32 are pref-
erably constructed identically.
It also proves advantageous if the unloading station has at least one separate
buffer surface 36
near the unloading device 32 or near each unloading device 32. In the depicted
embodiment,
the unloading device 32 is assigned one buffer surface 36 per service location
40a..40b. How-
ever, in principle, the unloading station may also comprise only one buffer
surface 36. The
buffer surface 36 is preferably formed on a base of the picking storage I a.
This way, it is pos-
sible that the loaded (first) transport loading aid(s) 7g are buffered on the
buffer surface 36,
near the unloading device(s) 32, and are transported as needed to the
respective service loca-
tion 40a..40b of the unloading device(s) 32 over a short distance by means of
the transport ve-
hicles 9.
It is also advantageous if the unloading station has one or multiple waiting
zone(s) 37. A
transport loading aid 7h can be parked at the waiting zone 37 or at the
waiting zones 37 after
removal of at least one article carrier 3, if not all article carriers 3 have
been removed from the
mentioned transport loading aid 7h and if these article carriers 3 are needed
at the mentioned
unloading device 32 or one of the unloading devices 32 for an already advised
picking order.
However, in principle, the loading station may also comprise only one waiting
zone 37. This
way, it is possible that the partially unloaded (first) transport loading
aid(s) 7h are buffered in
the waiting zone 37, near the unloading device(s) 32, and are transported as
needed to the re-
spective service location 40a..40b of the unloading device(s) 32 over a short
distance by
means of the transport vehicles 9.
The schematically shown embodiment of the automatically operated unloading
device 32
comprises a first service location 40a for the loaded first transport loading
aid 7i, an (optional)
second service location 40b for the loaded second transport loading aid 7i and
a transfer de-
vice 41 movable relative to the service location 40a..40b for unloading the
transport loading
aid 7i provided at the service location 40a..40b. If the unloading station has
more than one au-
tomatically operated unloading device 32 , each unloading device 32 comprises
a first service
location 40a for the loaded first transport loading aid 7i, and an (optional)
second service lo-
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 43 -
cation 40b for the loaded second transport loading aid 7i and a transfer
device 41 movable rel-
ative to the service location 40a. .40b for unloading the transport loading
aid 7i provided at the
service location 40a, 40b.
The transfer device 41 may for example be formed by a gripping system. The
gripping system
may comprise for example a base body, a vacuum suction unit with at least one
suction grip-
per or multiple suction grippers and/or adjacently arranged on top of one
another (and/or next
to one another) and a support base movably mounted on the base body. Unloading
the
transport loading aid 7i with this gripping system is carried out such that an
article carrier 3 or
a partial article carrier stack is first lifted on one side by the suction
unit so that a gap opens
between the top article carrier 3 and the one below it and the support base is
then pushed in
under the article carrier 3 lifted on one side or the partial article carrier
stack lifted on one side
by means of the suction unit in a horizontal direction so as to accommodate
said article car-
rier 3 or partial article carrier stack. Such a gripping system thus makes it
possible to unload
an individual article carrier 3 but also a partial article carrier stack. In
principle, it is also con-
ceivable that the number of suction grippers arranged on top of one another is
selected such
that the entire article carrier stack 8 can be lifted on one side and the
support base can accom-
modate the entire article carrier stack 8.
Moreover, the gripping system may also be configured such that a gripping unit
acts accord-
ing to the positive engagement principle and/or friction principle and grips
an individual arti-
cle carrier 3, partial article carrier stack or article carrier stack 8 in a
positively engaging or
friction-type manner.
According to a first embodiment, the unloading device 32 may specifically
comprise a gantry
robot. Gantry robots are understood to be industrial robots, which in their
base axes are con-
structed from linear axles. An area gantry is used for loading.
The gantry robot comprises
i) vertical standing members, longitudinal beams and transverse beams,
which are con-
nected to one another, forming a support construction 42
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
=
- 44 -
ii) a first gantry slide 43 mounted on the support structure 42 and
horizontally movable in a
first direction (x-direction) along a guide assembly (which are arranged on
the longitu-
dinal beams) via a first drive device,
iii) a second gantry slide 44 mounted on the first gantry slide 43 and
horizontally movable
in a second direction (y-direction) along a guide assembly via a second drive
device,
and
iv) a gantry arm 45 mounted on the second gantry slide 44 and vertically
movable in a third
direction (z-direction) along a guide assembly via a third drive device, and
v) the transfer device 41, which is arranged on the gantry arm 45 and is
mounted on the
gantry arm 45 so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis.
The first drive device comprises a first traction drive connected to the first
gantry slide 43.
The first traction drive comprises endlessly revolving traction means, each of
which is guided
around a deflection wheel and a drive wheel. The drive wheels are coupled to
an electric actu-
ating motor. A clockwise or counter-clockwise rotating motion of the drive
wheels moves the
first gantry slide 43 and transfer device 41 mounted thereon in the x-
direction relative to the
service location 40a. .40b.
The second drive device comprises a second traction drive connected to the
second gantry
slide 44. The traction drive comprises an endlessly revolving traction means,
which is guided
around a deflection wheel and a drive wheel coupled with an electric actuating
motor. A
clockwise or counter-clockwise rotating motion of the drive wheel moves the
second gantry
slide 44 and transfer device 41 mounted thereon in the y-direction relative to
the service loca-
tion 40a..40b.
The third drive device comprises a traction drive (not shown) connected to the
second gantry
slide 44. The traction drive comprises an endlessly revolving traction means,
which is guided
around a deflection wheel and a drive wheel coupled with an electric actuating
motor. A
clockwise or counter-clockwise rotating motion of the drive wheel moves the
gantry arm 45
and transfer device 41 mounted thereon in the z-direction relative to the
service loca-
tion 40a. .40b.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
=
- 45 -
The adjustment movements of the first gantry slide 43, the second gantry slide
44, the gantry
arm 45 and/or the transfer device 41 can be detected by the displacement
measurement de-
vices not depicted. Here, the measurement method of absolute and incremental
displacement
measurement is utilized.
In the course of the unloading movement, the article carrier 3, partial
article carrier stack or
article carrier stack 8 is picked up from the transport loading aid 7i by the
gripping system,
which is provided at the service location 40a..40b, and subsequently
transferred onto a target
loading aid 34c.
According to an embodiment, which is not depicted, the unloading device 32
(reloading de-
vice) may comprise a jointed-arm robot. The jointed-arm robot comprises the
gripping sys-
tem, which is described above and movable relative to a robot base, by means
of which indi-
vidual article carriers 3, partial article carrier stacks or "unamended"
article carrier stacks 8
can be transferred from the first transport loading aid 7i/second transport
loading aid 7i onto
the target loading aid 34c.
As schematically depicted in Fig. 1, the picking storage la comprises an order-
processing
computer 46 for detecting picking orders and for determining articles 2 which
are required for
the picking order. In this regard, a picking order comprises one order line
(for example six ar-
ticle carriers 3 with a first article 2) or multiple order lines (for example
three article carriers 3
with a first article 2 and three article carriers 3 with a second article 2).
A sales order corn-
prises at least one picking order. The picking orders are present in the form
of data sets and
are electronically detected by the order-processing computer 46 and
transmitted to a control
system 47. Each picking order comprises one or multiple order lines. If the
picking order
specifies multiple order lines, different articles 2 are needed. Each order
line has at least spec-
ifications on a number of pieces of an ordered article 2 and on a type of
article.
For transporting the empty transport loading aids 7 and transport loading aids
7 loaded with
article carrier stacks, autonomously displaceable, steerable transport
vehicles 9 (of a driverless
transport system) are used, which are automatically controlled by a
superordinate main com-
puter. The control system 47 may comprise said main computer.
Fig. 3 shows a possible embodiment of one of the autonomously displaceable,
steerable
transport vehicles 9. The transport vehicle 9 is configured as a floor
conveyor.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
= =
- 46 -
The transport vehicle 9 comprises a chassis 50 with a drive unit and a loading
platform 51 ar-
ranged on the underframe 50 for picking up/discharging/transporting a mobile
(non-station-
ary) transport loading aid 7 and/or a mobile (non-stationary) transport
loading aid 107 and/or
a mobile (non-stationary) transport loading aid 150 and/or a mobile (non-
stationary) stack
loading aid 100a and/or a mobile (non-stationary) stack loading aid 100b. The
drive unit com-
prises wheels 52, 53 rotatably mounted on the chassis 50, of which at least
one of the
wheels 52 is coupled with a drive (not depicted) and at least one of the
wheels 53 can be
steered. It is also possible for both wheels 52 to be coupled with the drive
and be driven by it.
However, the transport vehicle 9 may also comprise four wheels, of which two
wheels can be
steered.
According to the shown embodiment, the loading platform 51 is mounted on the
chassis 50 so
as to be adjustable between an initial position (represented in continuous
lines) and a transport
position (represented in dashed lines). In the initial position, a transport
loading aid 7, 7a..7i
parked on the base of the picking storage 1 a, in particular on a buffer
surface 30, 36, of the
storage surface 31, in the waiting zone 37 or at the service location 16a,
16b, 40a, 40b, can be
driven under, in order to accommodate said transport loading aid 7, 7a. .7i on
the loading plat-
form 51. If the loading platform 51 is adjusted out of the initial position in
the direction of the
transport position, a transport loading aid 7, 7a. .7i parked on the base can
be lifted and subse-
quently transported. In the transport position, the transport loading aid 7,
7a..7i is lifted off the
base of the picking storage la and it can be transported between the delivery
zone 4, storage
zone 5 and the order processing zone 6. If the loading platform 51 is adjusted
out of the
transport position in the direction of the initial position, the transport
loading aid 7. 7a..7i can
be parked on the base.
The transport vehicle 9 further comprises a travel control 54, represented
schematically in
dashed lines, for receiving commands from the superordinate main computer and
for control-
ling/regulating the movements of the autonomous transport vehicle 9. The
travel control 54
may also comprise means for (wirelessly) transfer data to and from the
transport vehicle 9. Fi-
nally, the transport vehicle 9 comprises sensors, which are not shown, for
detecting the envi-
ronment of the autonomous transport vehicle 9 and for spatial orientation. The
drive of the
drive unit and the sensors are connected to the travel control 54.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
=
- 47 -
Figs. 4a and 4b show a first embodiment of a transport loading aid 7. Fig. 4a
shows the un-
loaded, empty transport loading aid 7 and Fig. 4b shows the loaded transport
loading aid 7.
The transport loading aid 7 comprises a base 55 and side walls 56a, 56b, 56c
connected
thereto for the stabilization of the position of the article carrier stack 8
and a loading and un-
loading opening 57 located opposite the side wall 56c. The side walls 56a,
56b, 56c are pref-
erably designed essentially at the height of the article carrier stack 8,
however at least at a suf-
ficient height for the topmost article carrier 3 in the article carrier stack
8 to be surrounded by
the side walls 56a, 56b, 56c at least in some regions. Preferably, the loading
and unloading
opening 57 extends over the entire height of the side walls 56a, 56b.
The transport loading aid 7 may comprise first side walls 56a, 56b running in
parallel to one
another or (as shown) first side walls 56a, 56b diverging in the direction
towards the loading
and unloading opening 57. The latter embodiment allows loading and/or
unloading the
transport loading aid 7 easily. The second side wall 56c extends between the
first side
walls 56a, 56b and is arranged in the edge region of the base 55 such that the
side walls 56a,
56b, 56c delimit a single accommodating shaft in which the article carrier
stack 8 can be ac-
commodated for transport/for storage.
The base 55 comprises on its upper side a parking surface 58, on which the
article carrier
stack 8 can be parked, and on its bottom side a transport surface 59, against
which the loading
platform 51 of the transport vehicle 9 can be placed.
Additionally, the transport loading aid 7 may comprise adjustable feet 60
which are affixed to
the base 55. The transport loading aid 7 is parked via the adjustable feet 60
on the base. In an
embodiment that is not shown, wheels instead of adjustable feet 60 may also be
provided on
the base 55.
In the different embodiments of the picking storages la, 1 b, lc, the
transport loading aid 7 de-
scribed in Figs. 4a and 4b is used. It is self-evident that the embodiments of
the transport
loading aids 7', 7", 107 described in the following can also be used in the
picking stor-
ages la, lb, lc.
Figs. 5a and 5b show a second embodiment of a transport loading aid 7'. Fig.
5a shows the
unloaded, empty transport loading aid 7' and Fig. 5b shows the loaded
transport loading
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 48 -
aid 7'. Such a transport loading aid 7' can provide multiple article carrier
stacks 8, 8, 8" con-
secutively at the service locations 16a, 16b, 40a, 40b, 67a, 67b, 77a, 77b by
means of a "rotat-
ing motion" about the vertical axis. The "rotating motion" is preferably
performed by a
transport vehicle 9.
The transport loading aid 7' again comprises the base 55 and side walls 56a,
56b, 56c con-
nected thereto, each for the stabilization of the position of article carrier
stacks 8 and a first
loading and unloading opening 57a located opposite the side wall 56c on a
first side, and a
second loading and unloading opening 57b located opposite the side wall 56c on
a second
side. The side walls 56a, 56b, 56c are preferably designed essentially at the
height of the arti-
cle carrier stack 8, however at least at a sufficient height for the topmost
article carrier 3 in the
article carrier stack 8 to be surrounded by the side walls 56a, 56b, 56c at
least in some re-
gions. Preferably, the first/second loading and unloading opening 57 each
extend over the en-
tire height of the side walls 56a, 56b.
The transport loading aid 7' can comprise first side walls 56a, 56b running in
parallel to one
another. It proves to be advantageous if the first side walls 56a, 56b are
configured having
lead-in chamfers 61 for making an easy loading and/or unloading of the
transport loading
aid 7' possible. The second side wall 56c extends between the first side walls
56a, 56b and is
arranged in the center region of the base 55 such that the side walls 56a,
56b, 56c delimit two
accommodating shafts, in each of which at least one article carrier stack 8
can be accommo-
dated for transport/for storage. In the depicted embodiment, one article
carrier stack 8 with a
base area of the article carriers of 600 mm x 400 mm is accommodated in the
first accommo-
dation shaft, and two article carrier stacks 8 each with a base area of the
article carriers of
300 mm x 400 mm are accommodated in the second accommodation shaft. This
transport
loading aid 7' can transport multiple article carrier stacks 8 simultaneously.
In principle, how-
ever, the side wall 56c could also be omitted, so that only one accommodation
shaft is pre-
sent, in which one or more article carrier stacks 8 can be accommodated.
The base 55 again comprises on its upper side a parking surface 58, on which
the article car-
rier stacks 8 can be parked, and on its bottom side a transport surface 59,
against which the
loading platform 51 of the transport vehicle 9 can be placed.
Additionally, the transport loading aid 7' may comprise adjustable feet 60
which are affixed
to the base 55. The transport loading aid 7' is parked via the adjustable feet
60 on the base. In
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 49 -
an embodiment that is not shown, wheels instead of adjustable feet 60 may also
be provided
on the base 55.
Figs. 6a and 6b show a third embodiment of a transport loading aid 7". Fig. 6a
shows the un-
loaded, empty transport loading aid 7" and Fig. 6b shows the loaded transport
loading aid 7".
Such a transport loading aid 7' can provide multiple article carrier stacks 8,
8', 8" consecu-
tively at the service locations 16a, 16b, 40a, 40b, 67a, 67b, 77a, 77b by
means of a short "off-
set motion". The "offset motion" is preferably performed by a transport
vehicle 9.
The transport loading aid 7" again comprises the base 55 and side walls 56a,
56b, 56c, 56d
connected thereto, each for the stabilization of the position of article
carrier stacks 8 and load-
ing and unloading openings 57a, 57b located opposite the side wall 56c on a
single side. The
side walls 56a, 56b, 56c, 56d are preferably designed essentially at the
height of the article
carrier stack 8, however at least at a sufficient height for the topmost
article carrier 3 in the ar-
ticle carrier stack 8 to be surrounded by the side walls 56a, 56b, 56c, 56d at
least in some re-
gions. Preferably, the first/second loading and unloading opening 57 each
extend over the en-
tire height of the side walls 56a, 56b, 56d.
The transport loading aid 7" may comprise outer first side walls 56a, 56b
running in parallel
to one another and a parallel inner side wall 56d. The second side wall 56c
extends between
the first side walls 56a, 56b, 56d. The inner first side wall 56d is arranged
in the center region
of the base 55 such that the side walls 56a, 56b, 56c, 56d delimit two
accommodating shafts,
in each of which at least one article carrier stack 8 can be accommodated for
transport/for
storage. In the depicted embodiment, one article carrier stack 8 with a base
area of the article
carriers of 600 mm x 400 mm is accommodated in the first accommodation shaft,
and two ar-
ticle carrier stacks 8 each with a base area of the article carriers of 300 mm
x 400 mm are ac-
commodated in the second accommodation shaft. This transport loading aid 7"
can transport
multiple article carrier stacks 8 simultaneously.
It proves to be advantageous if the outer first side walls 56a, 56b and
possibly also the inner
first side wall 56d are configured having lead-in chamfers (not depicted) for
making an easy
loading and/or unloading of the transport loading aid 7" possible.
Date' recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 50 -
The base 55 again comprises on its upper side a parking surface 58, on which
the article car-
rier stacks 8 can be parked, and on its bottom side a transport surface 59,
against which the
loading platform 51 of the transport vehicle 9 can be placed.
It should also be noted at this point that the transport loading aid 7, 7', 7"
may have centering
elements (not depicted) on the first side walls 56a, 56b, 56d or on the first
side walls 56a, 56b,
56d and on the second side wall 56c and facing the respective accommodating
shaft, which
centering elements can serve to center the article carriers 3/article carrier
stacks 8 and to stabi-
lize the position of the article carriers 3/article carrier stacks 8.
Fig. 7 shows a second embodiment of a picking storage lb for storing and
picking article car-
riers 3 that contain articles 2 and are stackable. The picking storage lb
again comprises the
delivery zone 4, the storage zone 5, the order processing zone 6, a plurality
of transport load-
ing aids 7 each for accommodating and stabilizing the position of at least one
article carrier
stack 8 and a plurality of autonomously displaceable, driverless transport
vehicles 9 for trans-
porting transport loading aids 7.
This embodiment is different with respect to the picking storage la in that an
unloading sta-
tion separate of the reloading station is provided in the order processing
zone 6.
The unloading station shown in an enlarged view in Fig. 7a comprises the at
least one auto-
matically operated unloading device 65 (schematically adumbrated). Even
though, in the de-
picted embodiment, the unloading station is shown having a single unloading
device 65 for
reasons of clarity, the number of unloading devices 65 may vary depending on
the required
picking performance. For example, the unloading station and/or the picking
storage lb may
have a second unloading device 65, third unloading device 65 etc. These
unloading devices 65
are preferably constructed identically.
It also proves advantageous if the unloading station has at least one separate
buffer surface 66
near the unloading device 65 or near each unloading device 65. In the depicted
embodiment,
the unloading device 66 is assigned one buffer surface 66a, 66b per service
location 67a, 67b.
However, in principle, the unloading station may also comprise only one buffer
surface 66.
The buffer surface 66 is preferably formed on a base of the picking storage
lb. This way, it is
possible that the loaded (first) transport loading aid(s) 7g, not shown here,
are buffered on the
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 51 -
buffer surface 66, near the unloading device(s) 65, and are transported as
needed to the re-
spective service location 67a, 67b of the unloading device(s) 65 over a short
distance by
means of the transport vehicles 9.
The reloading station comprises the at least one reloading device 32
(schematically adum-
brated) operated in an automated manner, as described above. Even though, in
the depicted
embodiment, the unloading station is shown having a single reloading device 32
for reasons
of clarity, the number of reloading devices 32 may vary depending on the
required picking
perfoimance. For example, the reloading station and/or the picking storage lb
may have a
second reloading device 32, third reloading device 32 etc. These reloading
devices 32 are
preferably constructed identically.
According to this embodiment, a fixed-installation conveying system is
arranged between the
unloading station and the reloading station, by means of which conveying
device article carri-
ers 3, partial article carrier stacks or article carrier stacks 8 are
transported from the unloading
device 65 or the unloading devices 65 to the reloading device 32 or reloading
devices 32. In
the course of this, the article carriers 3 required for a picking order are
assembled on the
fixed-installation conveying system by the unloading device 65.
As is evident in Fig. 7a, the fixed-installation conveying system comprises a
first conveying
device 68a for supplying article carriers 3, partial article carrier stacks or
article carrier
stacks 8 and/or a second conveying device 68b for supplying article carriers
3, partial article
carrier stacks or article carrier stacks 8. The second conveying device 68b
for supplying arti-
cle carriers 3, partial article carrier stacks or article carrier stacks 8 is
optional and may also
be omitted.
The schematically shown unloading device 65 comprises a first service location
67a for the
loaded first transport loading aid 7, an (optional) second service location
67b for the loaded
second transport loading aid 7 and a transfer device 69 movable relative to
the service loca-
tion 67a, 67b for unloading the transport loading aid 7 provided at the
service location 67a,
67b. The transport loading aid 7 at the service location 67a is yet to be
unloaded while the
transport loading aid 7 at the service location 67b has already been unloaded.
During the un-
loading operation, an article carrier 3, partial article carrier stack or the
article carrier stack 8
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 52 -
is transferred from the first transport loading aid 7 to a first take-over
location 70a and possi-
bly an article carrier 3, partial article carrier stack or the article carrier
stack 8 is transferred
from the second transport loading aid 7 to a second take-over location 70b.
The first take-over location 70a and the second take-over location 70b are
formed on the
fixed-installation conveying system. In concrete terms, the first take-over
location 70a is
formed on the first conveying device 68a and the second take-over location 70b
is formed on
the second conveying device 68b. In case the second conveying device 70b is
not provided,
only the first take-over location 70a is provided. The first service location
67a and the first
take-over location 70a are arranged so as to be located opposite one another.
The optional
(second) service location 70b and the optional (second) take-over location 70b
are arranged so
as to be located opposite one another. The transfer device 69 is arranged
above the conveying
device 68a, 68b.
The transfer device 69 may for example be formed by a gripping system. The
gripping system
may comprise for example a base body, a vacuum suction unit with at least one
suction grip-
per or multiple suction grippers arranged on top of one another and a support
base movably
mounted on the base body, as described above and transferable to the unloading
device 65.
Moreover, the gripping system may also be configured such that a gripping unit
acts accord-
ing to the positive engagement principle and/or friction principle and grips
an individual arti-
cle carrier 3, article carrier partial stack or article carrier stack 8 in a
positively engaging or
friction-type manner.
According to a first embodiment, the unloading device 65 may specifically
comprise a gantry
robot which constructively corresponds to the loading device 13. Gantry robots
are under-
stood to be industrial robots, which in their base axes are constructed from
linear axles. Using
a line gantry is sufficient for loading.
The gantry robot comprises vertical standing members, longitudinal beams and
transverse
beams, which are connected to one another, forming a support construction 18.
Additionally,
the gantry robot comprises a gantry slide 19, that is movable in a first
direction (x-direction ¨
horizontal movement) along a guide assembly via a first drive device, and a
gantry arm 20 ar-
ranged on the gantry slide 19. A transfer device 69 is arranged on the gantry
arm 20. The first
drive device comprises a traction drive connected to the gantry slide 19. The
traction drive
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 53 -
comprises an endlessly revolving traction means, which is guided around a
deflection wheel
and a drive wheel coupled with an electric actuating motor. A clockwise or
counter-clockwise
rotating motion of the drive wheel moves the gantry slide 19 and the transfer
device 69
mounted thereon relative to the service location 67a, 67b either in a first
unloading direction
or second unloading direction (x-direction).
The gantry arm 20 is movable along a guide assembly in a second direction (z-
direction ¨ ver-
tical movement) via a second drive device. The transfer device 69 (gripping
system) is
mounted on the gantry arm 20 so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis.
The adjustment movements of the gantry slide 19, the gantry arm 20 and/or the
transfer de-
vice 69 can be detected by the displacement measurement devices not depicted.
Here, the
measurement method of absolute and incremental displacement measurement is
utilized.
In the course of the unloading movement, the article carrier 3, partial
article carrier stack or
article carrier stack 8 is picked up from the transport loading aid 7 by the
gripping system,
which is provided at the service location 67a, 67b, and subsequently
discharged onto the take-
over location 70a, 70b.
According to an embodiment, which is not depicted, the unloading device 65 may
comprise a
jointed-arm robot. The jointed-arm robot comprises a gripping system that is
movable relative
to a robot base, by means of which gripping system an article carrier 3,
partial article carrier
stack or an "unamended" article carrier stack 8 can be transferred from the
first transport load-
ing aid 7/second transport loading aid 7 onto the take-over location 70a, 70b.
After the unloading operation, the article carriers 3, partial article carrier
stacks or article car-
rier stacks 8 are transported, by the fixed-installation conveying system, in
particular the first
conveying device 68a and/or second conveying device 68b, from the unloading
device(s) 65
to the automatically operated reloading device(s) 32 (palletizing device(s)),
and provided at
one or multiple service locations 71a, 71b on the fixed-installation conveying
system.
The reloading device 32 can take over the article carriers 3, partial article
carrier stacks or ar-
ticle carrier stacks 8 successively from the service location/the service
locations 70a.. 70b with
the transfer device 41 (gripping system) in the manner described above and
subsequently
place them on the target loading aid 34c.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 54 -
It is noted at this point that according to this embodiment as well, the
reloading device 32 can
be formed for example by the gantry robot or jointed-arm robot described
above. To avoid
repetition reference is made to the above disclosure.
Fig. 8 shows a third embodiment of a picking storage lc for storing and
picking article carri-
ers 3 that contain articles 2 and are stackable. The picking storage 1 c again
comprises the de-
livery zone 4, the storage zone 5, the order processing zone 6, a plurality of
transport loading
aids 7 each for accommodating and stabilizing the position of at least one
article carrier
stack 8 and a plurality of autonomously displaceable, driverless transport
vehicles 9 for trans-
porting transport loading aids 7.
This embodiment is different with respect to the picking storage la in that an
unloading sta-
tion separate of the reloading station is provided in the order processing
zone 6.
The unloading station comprises the at least one unloading device 75
(schematically adum-
brated) operated in an automated manner. Even though, in the depicted
embodiment, the un-
loading station is shown having a single unloading device 75 for reasons of
clarity, the num-
ber of unloading devices 75 may vary depending on the required picking
performance. For ex-
ample, the unloading station and/or the picking storage 1 c may have a second
unloading de-
vice 75, third unloading device 75 etc. These unloading devices 75 are
preferably constructed
identically.
It also proves advantageous if the unloading station has at least one separate
buffer surface 76
near the unloading device 75 or near each unloading device 75. In the depicted
embodiment,
in the unloading device 75, a service location 77a is assigned a buffer
surface 76a and a ser-
vice location 77b is assigned a buffer surface 76b. The buffer surface 76 ,
76a, 76b is prefera-
bly formed on a base of the picking storage 1 c.
This way, on the one hand, it is possible that a loaded transport loading aid
7g, not shown
here, is buffered on the buffer surface 76a, near the unloading device(s) 75,
and is transported
as needed to the respective service location 77a of the unloading device(s) 65
over a short dis-
tance by a transport vehicle 9. On the other hand, it is possible that an
empty transport loading
aid 7d, not shown here, is buffered on the buffer surface 76b, near the
unloading device(s) 75,
and is transported as needed to the respective service location 77b of the
unloading de-
vice(s) 75 over a short distance by a transport vehicle 9.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 55 -
The reloading station comprises at least one reloading device 32
(schematically adumbrated)
operated in an automated manner. Even though, in the depicted embodiment, the
unloading
station is shown having a single reloading device 32 for reasons of clarity,
the number of re-
loading devices 32 may vary depending on the required picking performance. For
example,
the reloading station and/or the picking storage lc may have a second
reloading device 32,
third reloading device 32 etc. These reloading devices 32 are preferably
constructed identi-
cally.
To avoid repetition, reference is made to the above description with regard to
the disclosure of
the reloading station.
There is merely a difference in the provision of the article carrier stacks
with the transport
loading aids 7 at the first service location 40a and possibly second service
location 40b.
While, according to the first embodiment (Fig. 1), the article carrier stacks
are provided at the
first service location 40a and possibly second service location 40b as article
carrier stacks 8
containing articles of just one type, according to the embodiment shown (Fig.
8), a first
transport loading aid 7i with a first pre-picked article carrier stack 8' is
provided at the first
service location 40a, and possibly, a second transport loading aid 7i, not
shown, with a second
pre-picked article carrier stack 8' is provided at the second service location
40h.
Picking article carriers 3 according to a picking order to form an article
carrier stack 8' takes
place in the unloading station by means of at least one automatically operated
unloading de-
vice 75.
The schematically depicted unloading device 75 comprises at least one first
service loca-
tion 77a for the first transport loading aid 7a, which contains article
carriers 3 containing arti-
cles of just one type and from which article carriers 3 can be removed
according to a picking
order, and at least one second service location 77b for the second transport
loading aid 7b.
onto which article carriers 3 are discharged according to a picking order, and
a transfer de-
vice 84, which is movable relative to the service location 77a, 77b, for
unloading the transport
loading aid 7a provided at the service location 77a and for loading the
transport loading aid 7b
provided at the service location 77b. The first service location 77a and the
second service lo-
cation 77b are arranged so as to be located opposite one another. The transfer
device 84 is ar-
ranged above the service locations 77a, 77b.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 56 -
If a picking order comprises different articles 2, article carriers 3 are
successively taken out of
different transport loading aids 7a. In order to do so, the transport loading
aids 7a can be pro-
vided successively at the service location 77a, and the required article
carriers 3 can be un-
loaded successively and discharged onto the transport loading aids 7b. In this
regard, individ-
ual article carriers 3 or partial article carrier stacks can be taken from the
first transport load-
ing aid 7a and discharged onto the second transport loading aid 7b. If a
picking order requires
an entire article carrier stack 8, it is removed from the storage area 5 by
means of a transport
vehicle 9, as described above, and transported to the order processing zone 6
and provided at
a service location 40a..40b.
The transfer device 84 may for example be formed by a gripping system. The
gripping system
may comprise for example a base body, a vacuum suction unit with at least one
suction grip-
per or multiple suction grippers arranged on top of one another and a support
base movably
mounted on the base body, as described above and transferable to the unloading
device 75.
Moreover, the gripping system may also be configured such that a gripping unit
acts accord-
ing to the positive engagement principle and/or friction principle and grips
an individual arti-
cle carrier 3 or partial article carrier stack in a positively engaging or
friction-type manner.
According to a first embodiment, the unloading device 75 may specifically
comprise a gantry
robot.
The gantry robot comprises vertical standing members, longitudinal beams and
transverse
beams, which are connected to one another, forming a support construction 81.
Additionally,
the gantry robot comprises a gantry slide 82, that is movable in a first
direction (x-direction ¨
horizontal movement) along a guide assembly via a first drive device, and a
gantry arm 83 ar-
ranged on the gantry slide 82. A transfer device 84 is arranged on the gantry
arm 83. The first
drive device comprises a traction drive connected to the gantry slide 82. The
traction drive
comprises an endlessly revolving traction means, which is guided around a
deflection wheel
and a drive wheel coupled with an electric actuating motor. A clockwise or
counter-clockwise
rotating motion of the drive wheel will move the gantry slide 82 and the
transfer device 84
mounted thereon relative to the service location 77 in an unloading direction
(x-direction).
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 57 -
The gantry arm 83 is movable along a guide assembly in a second direction (z-
direction ¨ ver-
tical movement) via a second drive device. The transfer device 84 (gripping
system) is
mounted on the gantry arm 83 so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis.
The gantry robot may comprise a displacement measurement device not depicted,
by means
of which the readjustment movements of the gantry slide 82, gantry arm 83
and/or of the
transfer device 84 are captured. Here, the measurement method of absolute and
incremental
displacement measurement is utilized.
In the course of the unloading movement, the article carrier 3 or partial
article carrier stack is
picked up by the gripping system from the transport loading aid 7a, which is
provided at the
service location 77a and contains an article carrier stack 8 containing
articles of just one type,
and is subsequently discharged in the course of the loading movement of the
article carriers 3
or partial article carrier stacks onto the transport loading aid 7b, which is
provided at the ser-
vice location 77b and in which article carriers 3 are picked.
After the loading operation, the transport loading aid 7b with the pre-picked
article carrier
stack 8' is transported to the reloading station by means of a transport
vehicle 9 and is pro-
vided at the at least one reloading device 32.
According to an embodiment, which is not depicted, the unloading device 75 may
comprise a
jointed-arm robot. The jointed-arm robot comprises a gripping system that is
movable relative
to a robot base, by means of which gripping system an article carrier 3 or
partial article carrier
stack can be removed from the first transport loading aid 7a and transferred
to the second
transport loading aid 7b.
In the following, the method for storing and picking article carriers 3 that
contain articles 2
and are stackable in the picking storage la (first embodiment) is described.
The method comprises the steps:
i) providing autonomously displaceable, driverless transport vehicles 9,
ii) providing transport loading aids 7 each for receiving and stabilizing the
position
of at least one article carrier stack 8 of multiple article carriers 3
arranged on top of one an-
other, wherein the transport loading aids 7 comprise mobile, empty transport
loading aids 7.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 58 -
iii) providing article carrier stacks 8 of multiple article carriers 3
arranged on top of
one another in a delivery zone 4,
iv) transporting empty transport loading aids 7 by means of the autonomously
dis-
placeable, driverless transport vehicles 9 to a loading station and providing
one or multiple
empty (first) transport loading aid(s) 7 either on one or on multiple
automatically operated
loading device(s) 13 or on a buffer surface 30 close to the loading device(s)
13,
v) loading one of the empty transport loading aids 7, which is provided at
the auto-
matically operated loading device 13, with at least one article carrier stack
8 from the delivery
zone 4 by means of the automatically operated loading device 13,
vi) transporting the transport loading aid 7 loaded with at least one article
carrier
stack 8 from the loading station to a storage zone 5 by means of the
autonomously displacea-
ble, driverless transport vehicle 9,
vii) parking the transport loading aid 7 loaded with at least one article
carrier stack 7
on a storage surface 31 in the storage zone 5,
viii)storing the transport loading aids 7 loaded with at least one article
carrier stack 8
or the transport loading aids 7 loaded with individual article carriers 3 in
the storage zone 5,
ix) processing a picking order comprising the steps
- transporting one or multiple transport loading aid(s) 7
containing the article
carriers 3 required for a picking order from the storage zone 5 to an
unloading
station and providing said transport loading aid(s) 7 either at one or at
multi-
ple automatically operated unloading device(s) 32 or on a buffer surface 36
close the unloading device(s) 32 by means of one or multiple autonomously
displaceable, driverless transport vehicle(s) 9,
- unloading one or multiple ones of the transport loading
aid(s) 7, which is
(are) provided at the automatically operated unloading device(s) 32, by re-
moving the article carriers 3 required for processing the mentioned picking
order, and
- assembling the article carriers 3 on one or multiple target
loading aid 34 by
means of the unloading device(s) 32 for the mentioned picking order by the
article carrier 3 or the at least one article carrier stack 8 being removed
from
the provided transport loading aid(s) 7 by means of the unloading device 32
and transferred from said unloading device 32 to the target loading aid(s) 34.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 59 -
Providing autonomously displaceable, driverless transport vehicles 9 according
to step i) may
comprise providing transport vehicles 9, which are used exclusively for
transporting the
transport loading aid(s) 7 between the delivery zone 4 (loading station) and
the storage
zone 5, and may comprise providing transport vehicles 9, which are used
exclusively for
transporting the transport loading aid (s) 7 between the storage zone 5 and
the order pro-
cessing zone 6 (removal station). However, step i) may just as well comprise
providing
transport vehicles 9, which are used both for transporting the transport
loading aid(s) 7 be-
tween the delivery zone 4 (loading station) and the storage zone 5 and for
transporting the
transport loading aid(s) 7 between the storage zone 5 and the order processing
zone (removal
zone).
Providing transport loading aids 7 according to step ii) may comprise
providing structurally
identical transport loading aids 7 or structurally different transport loading
aids 7. Likewise,
structurally different transport loading aids 7 may be used in the picking
storage la.
On the one hand, step iii) may comprise providing separate article carrier
stacks 8 without
pallets or roll container (delivery load carriers).
On the other hand, step iii) may comprise providing article carrier stacks 8
as article carrier
stack groups 10 on pallets or roll containers (delivery load carriers), which
are previously fed
to a depalletizing station in order to separate the article carrier stacks 8
out of an article carrier
stack group 10.
For example, the article carriers 3 may carry fruit or vegetables, wherein a
first article carrier
stack group 10 contains a first type of vegetable and a second article carrier
stack group 10
contains a second type of vegetable.
Step iv) may comprise transporting empty transport loading aids 7 by means of
the autono-
mously displaceable, driverless transport vehicles 9 to a loading station and
directly providing
(an) empty loading aid(s) 7 on one or multiple automatically operated loading
device(s) 13.
However, step iv) may also comprise transporting empty transport loading aids
7 by means of
the autonomously displaceable, driverless transport vehicles 9 to a loading
station onto a
buffer surface 30 close to the loading device(s) 13 and transporting said
empty transport load-
ing aid(s) 7 by means of the autonomously displaceable, driverless transport
vehicles 9 to the
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
=
- 60 -
loading device(s) 13 and providing said empty transport loading aid(s) 7 on
one or multiple
automatically operated loading device(s) 13.
Providing an empty transport loading aid 7 on one or multiple automatically
operated loading
device(s) 13 according to step iv) may comprise the following steps:
- parking the empty transport loading aid 7 at a service location 16a, 16b
having the
relevant loading device 13 and having the transport vehicle 9 remain at the
service
location 16a, 16b during the loading operation of the empty transport loading
aid 7
according to step v), or
- parking the empty transport loading aid 7 at a service location
16a, 16b having the
relevant loading device 13 and subsequently having the transport vehicle 9
move
on from the service location 16a, 15b, thus even before the start or during
the load-
ing operation of the empty transport loading aid 7 according to step v).
The loading of the empty transport loading aids 7 according to step v) may
comprise loading
one of the empty transport loading aids 7 with at least one article carrier
stack 8 and/or load-
ing one of the empty transport loading aids 7 with at least one partial
article carrier stack 8
and/or loading one of the empty transport loading aids 7 with individual
article carriers 3
and/or a combination thereof.
Step ix) may comprise transporting loaded transport loading aids 7 by means of
the autono-
mously displaceable, driverless transport vehicles 9 from the storage zone 5
(but possibly also
from the loading station in the service zone 4) to an unloading station and
directly providing (a)
loaded loading aid(s) 7 on one or multiple automatically operated unloading
device(s) 32.
However, step ix) may also comprise transporting loaded transport loading aids
7 by means of
the autonomously displaceable, driverless transport vehicles 9 from the
storage zone 5 (but
possibly also from the loading station in the service zone 4) to an unloading
station onto a
buffer surface 36 close to the unloading device(s) 32 and transporting said
loaded transport
loading aid(s) 7 by means of the autonomously displaceable, driverless
transport vehicles 9
from the buffer surface 36 to the unloading device(s) 32 and providing said
loaded transport
loading aid(s) 7 on one or multiple automatically operated unloading device(s)
32.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
=
-61 -
The transport vehicles 9 may also be controlled by the main computer such that
they arrive at
the unloading station in an order provided by the packing order of the article
carriers 3 at the
target loading aid 34. Thus, a sequencing of the transport loading aids 7
and/or article carrier
stacks 8 is achieved.
Providing a loaded transport loading aid (s) 7 on one or multiple
automatically operated load-
ing device(s) 32 according to step ix) may comprise the following steps:
- parking the loaded transport loading aid (s) 7 at a service
location 40a. .40b having
the relevant unloading device 32 and having the transport vehicle 9 remain at
the
service location 40a..40b during the unloading operation of the loaded
transport
loading aid (s) 7 according to step ix), or
- parking the loaded transport loading aid (s) 7 at a service
location 40a. .40b having
the relevant unloading device 32 and subsequently having the transport vehicle
9
move on from the service location 40a. .40b, thus even before the start or
during
the unloading operation of the loaded transport loading aid (s) 7 according to
step ix).
In the following, the method for storing and picking article carriers 3 that
contain articles 2
and are stackable in the picking storage lb (second embodiment) is described.
The method comprises the steps i) to viii) as described above and the step:
ix) processing a picking order comprising the steps
- transporting one or multiple transport loading aid(s) 7 containing the
article
carriers 3 required for a picking order from the storage zone 5 to an
unloading
station and providing said transport loading aid(s) 7 either at one or at
multi-
ple automatically operated unloading device(s) 65 or on a buffer surface 66
close the unloading device(s) 65 by means of one or multiple autonomously
displaceable, driverless transport vehicle(s) 9,
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 62 -
- unloading one or multiple ones of the transport loading
aid(s) 7, which is
(are) provided at the automatically operated unloading device(s) 65, by re-
moving the article carriers 3 required for processing the mentioned picking
order, and
- Assembling the article carrier 3 on one or multiple target loading aids
34 by
means of the unloading device(s) 32 for the mentioned picking order by per-
forming the assembly of the article carriers 3 for the mentioned picking order
such that the article carriers 3 removed from the article carrier stack 8 at
the
unloading device(s) 65 or the at least one or the article carrier stack(s) 8
re-
moved at the unloading device(s) 65 is (are) transferred to a fixed-
installation
conveying system by means of the provided transport loading aid(s) 7, and
the article carrier 3 or article carrier stack 8 is transported from the
unloading
device(s) 65 to the reloading device(s) 32 by means of the conveying system
and is/are subsequently taken over from the fixed-installation conveying sys-
tern by means of the reloading device(s) 32 and is/are transferred from it to
the target loading aid(s) 34.
In this regard, the fixed-installation conveying system is arranged between
the unloading station with the at least one automatically operated unloading
station 65 and the reloading station with the at least one automatically oper-
ated reloading device 32 (palletizing).
During the unloading operation by means of the relevant unloading device 65,
individual article carriers 3 or a partial article carrier stack (with
articles of
just one type) are removed from the article carrier stack 8.
The article carriers 3 may be successively transferred onto the fixed-installa-
tion conveying system and be transported as separate article carriers 3. In
this
regard, the article carriers 3 can advantageously be successively discharged
onto the fixed-installation conveying system in an order provided by the
packing order of the article carriers 3 at the target loading aid 34 and be
trans-
ported to the at least one reloading device 32 successively in said order.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
=
- 63 -
By contrast, article carriers 3 required for a picking order can also be
stacked
on the fixed-installation conveying system and pre-picked partial article car-
rier stacks 8" or article carrier stacks 8' can be transported from the unload-
ing device 65 or the unloading devices 65 to the reloading device 32 or re-
loading devices 32, as shown in an exemplary manner in Fig. 7a. In this re-
gard, the article carriers 3 can advantageously be discharged onto the fixed-
installation conveying system in an order provided by the packing order of
the article carriers 3 at the target loading aid 34 such that at least one
(pre-
picked) partial article carrier stack 8" or article carrier stack 8' is made
up of
multiple article carriers 3 arranged on top of one another and is then trans-
ported to the at least one reloading device 32.
Said packing order may be determined by a computer and considers for ex-
ample the stability of the article carrier 3 and/or the dimensions of the
article
carriers and/or the weight of the articles 2/article carriers 3. At the target
load-
ing aid 34, heavy article carriers 3 are accommodated at the bottom of the
stack while lightweight article carriers 3 are accommodated at the top of the
stack. Containers are arranged at the bottom of the stack, cartons at the top
of
the stack. The control system 47 may comprise said computer.
Step ix) may comprise transporting loaded transport loading aids 7 by means of
the autono-
mously displaceable, driverless transport vehicles 9 from the storage zone 5
(but possibly also
from the loading station in the service zone 4) to an unloading station and
directly providing (a)
loaded loading aid(s) 7 on one or multiple automatically operated unloading
device(s) 65.
However, step ix) may also comprise transporting loaded transport loading aids
7 by means of
the autonomously displaceable, driverless transport vehicles 9 from the
storage zone 5 (but
possibly also from the loading station in the service zone 4) to an unloading
station onto a
buffer surface 66 close to the unloading device(s) 65 and transporting said
loaded transport
loading aid(s) 7 by means of the autonomously displaceable, driverless
transport vehicles 9 to
the unloading device(s) 65 and providing said loaded transport loading aid(s)
7 on one or mul-
tiple automatically operated unloading device(s) 65.
Providing a loaded transport loading aid (s) 7 on one or multiple
automatically operated load-
ing device(s) 65 according to step ix) may comprise the following steps:
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 64 -
- parking the loaded transport loading aid (s) 7 at a service
location 67a, 67b having
the relevant unloading device 65 and having the transport vehicle 9 remain at
the
service location 67a, 67b during the unloading operation of the loaded
transport
loading aid (s) 7 according to step ix), or
- parking the loaded transport loading aid (s) 7 at a service location 67a,
67b having
the relevant unloading device 65 and subsequently having the transport vehicle
9
move on from the service location 67a, 67b, thus even before the start or
during
the unloading operation of the loaded transport loading aid (s) 7 according to
step ix).
In the following, the method for storing and picking article carriers 3 that
contain articles 2
and are stackable in the picking storage lc (third embodiment) is described.
The method comprises the steps i) to viii) as described above and the step:
ix) processing a picking order comprising the steps
- transporting one or multiple transport loading aid(s) 7
containing the article
carriers 3 required for a picking order from the storage zone 5 to an
unloading
station and providing said transport loading aid(s) 7 either at one or at
multi-
ple automatically operated unloading device(s) 75 or on a buffer surface 66
close the unloading device(s) 75 by means of one or multiple autonomously
displaceable, driverless transport vehicle(s) 9,
- unloading one or multiple ones of the transport loading aid(s) 7, which
is
(are) provided at the automatically operated unloading device(s) 75, by re-
moving the article carriers 3 required for processing the mentioned picking
order, and
- Assembling the article carrier 3 on one or multiple target
loading aids 34 by
means of the unloading device(s) 32 for the mentioned picking order by per-
forming the assembly of the article carriers 3 for the mentioned picking order
such that the article carriers 3 removed from the article carrier stack 8 at
the
unloading device(s) 75 or the at least one or the article carrier stack(s) 8
re-
moved at the unloading device(s) 75 is (are) transferred from the provided
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 65 -
(first) transport loading aid(s) 7 to at least one mobile, empty (second)
transport loading aid 7 comprising the transport loading aids 7, and the at
least one loaded (second) transport loading aid 7k with the article carrier 3
or
(pre-picked) article carrier stack 8' is (are) transported from the unloading
de-
vice(s) 75 to the reloading device(s) 32 by means of the autonomously dis-
placeable, driverless transport vehicle 9 and is/are subsequently taken over
from the (second) transport loading aid(s) 7 by means of the reloading de-
vice(s) 32 and is/are transferred from it to the target loading aid(s) 34.
The article carriers 3 required for a picking order can also be stacked on the
(second) transport loading aid(s) 7 and the (second) transport loading aid(s)
7
with the pre-picked article carrier stack 8' can be transported from the un-
loading device 75 or the unloading devices 75 to the reloading device 32 or
reloading devices 32. In this regard, the article carriers 3 can
advantageously
be discharged onto the (second) transport loading aid(s) 7 in an order pro-
vided by the packing order of the article carriers 3 at the target loading aid
34.
Said packing order may be determined by a computer and considers for ex-
ample the stability of the article carrier 3 and/or the dimensions of the
article
carriers and/or the weight of the articles 2/article carriers 3. At the target
load-
ing aid 34, heavy article carriers 3 are accommodated at the bottom of the
stack while lightweight article carriers 3 are accommodated at the top of the
stack. Containers are arranged at the bottom of the stack, cartons at the top
of
the stack. The control system 47 may comprise said computer.
Step ix) may comprise transporting loaded (first) transport loading aids 7 by
means of the au-
tonomously displaceable, driverless transport vehicles 9 to an unloading
station and directly
providing (a) loaded (first) transport loading aid(s) 7 on one or multiple
automatically operated
loading device(s) 75.
However, step ix) may also comprise transporting loaded (first) transport
loading aids 7 by
means of the autonomously displaceable, driverless transport vehicles 9 to an
unloading sta-
tion onto a buffer surface 76 close to the unloading device(s) 75 and
transporting said loaded
(first) transport loading aid(s) 7j by means of the autonomously displaceable,
driverless
transport vehicles 9 from the buffer surface 76 to the unloading device(s) 75
and providing
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 66 -
said loaded transport loading aid(s) 7 on one or multiple automatically
operated unloading de-
vice(s) 75.
The transport vehicles 9 may also be controlled by the main computer such that
they arrive at
the unloading station in an order provided by the packing order of the article
carriers 3 at the
target loading aid 34. Thus, a sequencing of the (second) transport loading
aids 7 and/or arti-
cle carrier stacks 8' is achieved.
Providing a loaded (first) transport loading aid (s) 7 on one or multiple
automatically operated
loading device(s) 75 according to step ix) may comprise the following steps:
- parking the loaded (first) transport loading aid (s) 7 at a service
location 77a, 77b
having the relevant unloading device 75 and having the transport vehicle 9
remain
at the service location 77a, 77b during the unloading operation of the loaded
(first)
transport loading aid (s) 7 according to step ix), or
- parking the loaded (first) transport loading aid (s) 7 at a service
location 77a, 77b
having the relevant unloading device 75 and subsequently having the transport
ve-
hide 9 move on from the service location 77a, 77b, thus even before the start
or
during the unloading operation of the loaded (first) transport loading aid (s)
7 ac-
cording to step ix).
Providing an empty (second) transport loading aid (s) 7 on one or multiple
automatically op-
erated loading device(s) 75 according to step ix) may comprise the following
steps:
- parking the empty (second) transport loading aid (s) 7 at a service location
77a,
77b having the relevant unloading device 75 and having the transport vehicle 9
re-
main at the service location 77a, 77b during the loading operation of the
empty
(second) transport loading aid (s) 7 according to step ix), or
- parking the empty (second) transport loading aid (s) 7 at a
service location 77a,
77b having the relevant unloading device 75 and subsequently having the
transport
vehicle 9 move on from the service location 77a, 77b, thus even before the
start or
during the unloading operation of empty (second) transport loading aid (s) 7
ac-
cording to step ix).
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 67 -
Providing an empty (second) transport loading aid (s) 7 on one or multiple
automatically op-
erated loading device(s) 32 according to step ix) may comprise the following
steps:
- parking the loaded (second) transport loading aid (s) 7 at a
service loca-
tion 40a..40b having the relevant unloading device 32 and having the transport
ve-
hicle 9 remain at the service location 40a. .40b during the unloading
operation of
the loaded (second) transport loading aid (s) 7 according to step ix). or
- parking the loaded (second) transport loading aid (s) 7 at a
service loca-
tion 40a. .40b having the relevant unloading device 32 and subsequently having
the
transport vehicle 9 move on from the service location 40a. .40b, thus even
before
the start or during the unloading operation of the loaded (second) transport
loading
aid (s) 7 according to step ix).
The method for storing and picking articles 2 in the picking storage lc can
additionally com-
prise the following steps
- acquiring picking orders on an order-processing computer 46,
- determining the articles required for one of the picking orders (demand),
- analysis of a stock of those articles 2 which are required for
the mentioned picking
order, which picking order comprises one or multiple first article carrier(s)
3 contain-
ing the article(s) 2 and one or multiple second article carrier(s) 3
containing the arti-
cle(s), and
- assembling the article carriers 3 for the mentioned picking order in
consecutive
picking steps if a required quantity of an article 2 exceeds the stock of said
article 2,
wherein
i) in a first picking step, the (second) transport loading aid 7
is loaded with one or
multiple first article carrier(s) 3 at the unloading device 75, and
subsequently said
(second) transport loading aid 7 is transported from the unloading device 75
to a buffer
surface 76 by means of an autonomously displaceable, driverless transport
vehicle 9
and is buffered there, and
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
=
- 68 -
ii) in a second picking step, the (second) transport loading aid 7 is
transported from
the buffer surface 76 to the unloading device 75 by means of an autonomously
dis-
placeable, driverless transport vehicle 9 and is provided there, if a required
quantity of
an article 2 falls below the stock of said article 2, and subsequently the
(second)
transport loading aid 7 is loaded with one or multiple second article carriers
3, and
- transporting the (second) transport loading aid 7 from the unloading
device 75 to
the reloading device 32 by means of an autonomously displaceable, driverless
transport vehicle 9 after steps i) and ii) have been concluded, and
- transferring the article carrier stack 8, 8' onto a target
loading aid 34 by means of
the reloading device 32.
The method for storing and picking articles 2 in the picking storage la, lb, 1
c can additionally
comprise one of the steps x)
- transporting a transport loading aid 7 from the unloading
station back to the stor-
age zone 5 after removal of the article carriers 3, if not all article
carriers 3 have
been removed from the mentioned transport loading aid 7, or
- transporting a transport loading aid 7 from a first unloading device 32;
65; 75 to a
second unloading device 32; 65; 75 after removal of the article carriers 3, if
not all
article carriers 3 have been removed from the mentioned transport loading aid
7
and if said article carriers 3 are needed at the second unloading device 32:
65; 75
for a picking order, or
- transporting a transport loading aid 7 from the unloading device 32; 65;
75 to a
waiting zone 37 in the unloading station 32; 65; 75 after removal of the
article
carriers 3, if not all article carriers 3 have been removed from the mentioned
transport loading aid 7 and if said article carriers 3 are needed at the
mentioned
unloading device 32; 65; 75 or one of the unloading devices 32; 65; 75 for an
al-
ready advised picking order, or
- transporting an (empty) transport loading aid 7 back to the loading
station after
removal of the article carrier stack 8, 8' and providing the transport loading
aid 7
either at the automatically operated loading device 13 or on the buffer
surface 30,
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 69 -
if all article carriers 3 have been removed from the mentioned transport
loading
aid 7.
The method for storing and picking articles 2 in the picking storage I a, lb,
1 c can additionally
comprise the following steps
- providing a cleaning system with an automatically operated cleaning robot
90 (as
schematically depicted in Fig. 1),
- cleaning the transport loading aids 7 and/or the base in the loading
station and/or
unloading station (therefore the service locations 16a, 16b, 40a, 40b, 71a,
71b,
77a, 77b, the buffer surface 36, 67, 76 and according to the first embodiment
the
waiting zone 37) and storage surface 31 in the storage zone 5 with the
cleaning
robot 90.
As depicted only in Fig. 1 and explained with the example of the first picking
system 1 a, the
method for storing and picking articles 2 may additionally comprise the
following steps
- providing a first temperature zone 91a in the storage zone 5, in which
the
transport loading aids 7 with the at least one article carrier stack 8 of
article carri-
ers 3 stacked on top of one another and containing articles 2 of a first
article
group,
- providing a second temperature zone 91b in the storage zone 5, in which
the
transport loading aids 7 with the at least one article carrier stack 8 of
article earn-
ers 6 stacked on top of one another and containing articles 2 of a second
article
group,
- definition of a first article group and of a second article
group, to which first arti-
cle group articles 2 of a first storage temperature are assigned and to which
second
article group articles 2 of a second storage temperature are assigned, and
detecting
data containing data on the first article group, in particular a first storage
tempera-
ture for the articles 2, and the second article group, in particular a second
storage
temperature for the articles 2, on a computer (which is connected to the
control
system 47),
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 70 -
- identifying the article carriers 3 and/or article carrier
stacks 8 and/or transport
loading aids 7 by means of a detection device (not depicted) provided in the
deliv-
ery zone 4 by reading a data carrier 92a, 92b, 92c (RFID, barcode) (only
depicted
in Fig. 4b), which data carrier 92a, 92b, 92c is affixed in each case on the
article
carriers 3 and/or article carrier stacks 8 and/or transport loading aids 7,
- selectively transporting the (first) transport loading aids 7,
each loaded at the load-
ing station in step v) with at least one article carrier stack 8, by means of
the au-
tonomously displaceable, driverless transport vehicles 9 either in the first
temper-
ature zone 91a or second temperature zone 91b,
- storing the (first) transport loading aids 7 with the at least one
article carrier
stack 8 of article carriers 3 stacked on top of one another and containing
articles 2
of the first article group in the first temperature zone 91a,
- storing the (first) transport loading aids 7 with the at least
one article carrier
stack 8 of article carriers 3 stacked on top of one another and containing
articles 2
of the second article group in the second temperature zone 91b.
The method for storing and picking articles 2 can additionally comprise the
following steps
- transporting one or multiple transport loading aid(s) 7
containing the article carri-
ers 3 required for a first picking order from the first temperature zone 91a
and
transporting one or multiple transport loading aid(s) 7 containing the article
carri-
ers 3 required for a second picking order from the second temperature zone 91b
to
the unloading station by means of a shared, automatically operated unloading
de-
vice 32; 65; 75,
- providing the mentioned transport loading aid(s) 7 for the
first picking order either
at the automatically operated unloading device 32; 65; 75 or on a buffer sur-
face 36; 66; 76 near the unloading device 32; 65; 75 by means of the autono-
mously displaceable, driverless transport vehicle(s) 9,
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 71 -
- providing the mentioned transport loading aid(s) 7 for the
second picking order
either at the automatically operated unloading device 32; 65; 75 or on a
buffer sur-
face 36; 66; 76 near the unloading device 32; 65; 75 by means of the autono-
mously displaceable, driverless transport vehicle(s) 9,
- sequentially assembling article carrier stacks 8 on a first target
loading aid 34
(goods-out unit) with multiple article carrier stacks 8 of article carriers 3
stacked
on top of one another and containing articles 2 of a first article group, and
assem-
bling article carrier stacks 8 on a second target loading aid 34 (goods-out
unit)
with multiple article carrier stacks 8 of article carriers 3 stacked on top of
one an-
other and containing articles 2 of a second article group at the removal
station
with a shared, automatically operated removal device 65; 75 and/or reloading
sta-
tion with a shared, automatically operated reloading device 32.
Figs. 9a and 9b show a fourth embodiment of a picking storage ld for storing
and picking ar-
ticle carriers 3 that contain articles 2 (as only shown in Fig. lla for
reasons of clarity) and are
stackable. Figs. 10a to 10d show individual cutouts from the picking storage
Id. The picking
storage id also comprises a delivery zone 4, a storage zone 5, an order
processing zone 6, a
plurality of transport loading aids 107 each for accommodating and stabilizing
the position of
at least one article carrier stack 8 and a plurality of autonomously
displaceable, driverless
transport vehicles 9 for transporting transport loading aids 107. The article
carrier stack 8 is
formed by multiple article carriers 3 arranged (stacked) on top of one
another. Contrary to the
first, second and third embodiment according to Figs. 1 to 8. 8a, the picking
storage id addi-
tionally comprises stack loading aids, as they are shown in more detail in
Figs. 12a to 12c,
each for stabilizing the position of an order stack 101 made up of the article
carriers 3 accord-
ing to a picking order. It is noted that the first, second and third
embodiment of the picking
storage la, lb, lc may also comprise such stack loading aids.
The stack loading aids comprise either first stack loading aids 100a (Figs.
12a-- shows an un-
loaded stack loading aid and Fig. 12b ¨ shows a loaded stack loading aid) or
second stack
loading aids 100b (Fig. 12c ¨ shows an unloaded stack loading aid). It is also
possible that the
stack loading aids comprise both first stack loading aids 100a and second
stack loading
aids 100b.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 72 -
In the picking storage id shown in Figs. 9a, 9b, 10a to 10d, stack loading
aids, which com-
prise the first stack loading aids 100a (see Fig. 12a), are used, which are
loaded by means of
the target loading aid 34, for example a pallet.
If instead of the first stack loading aids 100a the second stack loading aids
100b (see Fig. 12c)
is used in the picking storage Id, the second stack loading aid 100b forms the
target loading
aid 134. In this case, the lading station described in the following may be
omitted. Contrary to
the above-mentioned embodiment, in which the first stack loading aid 100a is
equipped with
the target loading aid 34, this embodiment does not allow for an additional
target loading
aid 34.
The transport loading aid 107 as shown in further detail in Figs. lla to lie
also proves advan-
tageous.
As schematically depicted in Fig. 9a, the picking storage Id likewise
comprises the order pro-
cessing computer 46 for detecting picking orders and for determining articles
2 which are re-
quired for the picking order. In this regard, a picking order comprises one
order line (for ex-
ample six article carriers 3 with a first article 2) or multiple order lines
(for example three arti-
cle carriers 3 with a first article 2 and three article carriers 3 with a
second article 2), as de-
scribed above.
In the delivery zone 4, the provision of article carrier stacks 8 is
envisaged, as comprehen-
sively described above. According to the embodiment shown, the article carrier
stacks 8 are
delivered to the delivery zone 4 on pallets (delivery load carrier) as an
article carrier stack
group 10. In this case, an article carrier stack group 10 of a depalletizing
station is supplied, in
which article carrier stacks 8 of multiple article carriers 3, arranged on top
of one another,
from one article carrier stack group 10 are separated. Such article carrier
stack groups 10 are
most times made up of article carrier stacks 8 containing articles of just one
type.
Figs. 9a and 10a show a possible embodiment, in which a depalletizing station
with at least
one automatically operated depalletizing device 11 (schematically adumbrated),
a first con-
veying device 112a following the depalletizing device 11 for supplying article
carrier stack
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 73 -
groups 10 (goods-in units), a second conveying device 112b following the
depalletizing de-
vice 11 for transporting delivery load carriers away, a loading station with
at least one auto-
matically operated first loading device 113 (schematically adumbrated), a
third conveying de-
vice 114a connecting, in respect of a conveying stream, the depalletizing
device 11 to the first
loading station 113 for supplying article carrier stacks 8 and/or a fourth
conveying de-
vice 114b connecting, in respect of a conveying stream, the depalletizing
device 11 to the
loading station 113 for supplying article carrier stacks 8 may be provided in
the delivery
zone 4. The fourth conveying device 114b for supplying article carrier stacks
8 is optional and
may also be omitted.
As not shown in further detail, a rotating device may be provided between the
depalletizing
device 11 and the loading device 113, which rotating device rotates the
article carrier stacks 8
by 90 , so that the article carrier stacks 8 are always provided in the same
orientation at the
loading device 113, regardless of how the article carrier stacks 8 and/or
article carriers 3 are
delivered.
The article carrier stacks 8 are provided "unamendedly" in a transfer position
at the loading
device 113. The transfer location 15a is preferably formed on the third
conveying de-
vice 114a.
As described in the following, the loading station comprises one or multiple
automatically op-
erated first loading device(s) 113 (schematically adumbrated).
The schematically shown first loading device 113 comprises at least one first
service loca-
tion 16a for the first transport loading aid 107a and a transfer device 117
for transferring a
second article carrier stack 8b from the first transfer location 15a onto the
first transport load-
ing aid 107a. The first service location 16a and the first transfer location
15a are arranged so
as to be located opposite one another.
It also proves advantageous if the loading station has at least one separate
buffer surface 30
near the first loading device 113 or near each first loading device 113.
Preferably, the first
loading device 113 is assigned one buffer surface 30 per service location 16a.
However, in
principle, the loading station may also comprise only one buffer surface 30.
The buffer sur-
face 30 is preferably formed on a base of the picking storage Id.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 74 -
In concrete terms, the automatically operated loading device 113 comprises a
transfer de-
vice 117 that is movable relative to the transfer location 15a, in order to
move an article car-
rier stack 8b (or possibly individual article carriers 3) provided in a
transfer position at the
transfer location 15a to the transport loading aid 107a. The transfer device
117 can be formed
for example by a pusher actuatable by means of an actuating drive. The
transfer device 117 is
arranged above the conveying device 114a.
According to a first embodiment, the loading device 113 may specifically
comprise a gantry
robot. Gantry robots are understood to be industrial robots, which in their
base axes are con-
structed from linear axles. Using a line gantry is sufficient for loading.
The gantry robot comprises vertical standing members and a longitudinal beam,
which are
connected to one another, forming a support construction 118. Additionally,
the gantry robot
comprises a gantry slide 119, that is movable in a first direction (x-
direction ¨ horizontal
movement) along a guide assembly via a first drive device (not depicted), and
a gantry
arm 120 arranged on the gantry slide 119. A transfer device 117 is arranged on
the gantry
arm 120.
It may prove useful if the gantry arm 120 is also movable in a second
direction (z-direction ¨
vertical movement) along a guide assembly via a second drive device.
In Figs. 9a, 10a, the first article carrier stack 8a has already been
discharged onto the first
transport loading aid 107a, while the second article carrier stack 8b is still
at the transfer loca-
tion 15a. In the course of the pushing movement, the article carrier stack 8b
is moved from the
transfer location 15a to the first transport loading aid 107a which is
provided at the first ser-
vice location 16a.
As described above, the first transfer location l 5a, second transfer location
15b, first service
location 16a and the second service location 16b may be provided on this
loading device 113
as well.
Even though, in the depicted embodiment, the loading station is shown having a
single first
loading device 113 for reasons of clarity, the number of first loading devices
113 may vary
depending on the required picking performance, as already described above
regarding the em-
bodiments.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
-75 -
According to an embodiment that is not shown, the loading device 113 may
comprise a
jointed-arm robot, as described above regarding the loading device 13.
As depicted in Fig. 9a, an empty (first) transport loading aid 107b may be
transported to the
service location 16a (16b) by means of an autonomously displaceable,
driverless transport ye-
hide 9 and be parked there. While loading the (first) transport loading aid
107a, said transport
vehicle 9 may be used for other transport purposes. However, in principle, it
is also possible
that the autonomously displaceable, driverless transport vehicle 9 is
transported to the service
location 16a (16b) and parked there but remains at the service location 16a
(16b) while the
(first) transport loading aid 107a is loaded. If a (first) transport loading
aid 107a is already
parked at the service location 16a or if the (first) transport loading aid
107a is currently being
loaded, the empty (first) transport loading aid 107b can be buffered on the
buffer surface 30
provided near the loading device 113.
After being loaded (with at least one article carrier stack 8), a (first)
transport loading aid 107c
is transported from the loading station, in particular from the first loading
station 113, or from
the first loading devices 113 to the storage zone 5 by means of an
autonomously displaceable,
driverless transport vehicle 9 and is parked on the storage area 31 in the
storage zone 5.
As evident in Figs. 9b and 10b, an unloading station with at least one
automatically operated
unloading device 132 (schematically adumbrated) is arranged in the order
processing zone 6.
According to this embodiment, the unloading station with the automatically
operated unload-
ing device 132 or the multiple automatically operated unloading devices 132
simultaneously
forms a reloading station with the one automatically operated reloading device
(palletizing de-
vice) or the multiple automatically operated reloading devices (palletizing
devices), by means
of which the article carriers 3 or article carrier stacks 8 are transferred
from the transport load-
ing aid 107 onto the target loading aid 34. Therefore, the term "unloading
device" may be
used synonymously with "reloading device".
As described in the following, the unloading station comprises the at least
one automatically
operated unloading device 132 (schematically adumbrated). Even though, in the
depicted em-
bodiment, the unloading station is shown having a single unloading device 132
for reasons of
clarity, the number of unloading devices 132 may vary depending on the
required picking per-
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
-76 -
formance. For example, the unloading station and/or the picking storage id may
have a sec-
ond unloading device 132, third unloading device 132 etc. These unloading
devices 132 are
preferably constructed identically.
The schematically shown embodiment of the automatically operated unloading
device 132
comprises a first service location 40a for the loaded first transport loading
aid 107e, an (op-
tional) second service location 40b for the loaded second transport loading
aid 107e and a
transfer device 147 movable relative to the service location 40a..40b for
unloading the
transport loading aid 107e provided at the service location 40a..40b. If the
unloading station
has more than one automatically operated unloading device 132 ,each unloading
device 132
comprises a first service location 40a for the loaded first transport loading
aid 107e, an (op-
tional) second service location 40b for the loaded second transport loading
aid 107e and a
transfer device 147 movable relative to the service location 40a..40b for
unloading the
transport loading aid 107e provided at the service location 40a, 40b.
The transfer device 147 may for example be formed by a gripping system as it
is described in
detail in Figs. 13a to 13d, 14a, 14b, 15a to 15n and 16a to 16n.
It also proves advantageous if the unloading station has at least one separate
buffer surface 36
near the unloading device 132 or near each unloading device 132. In the
depicted embodi-
ment, the unloading device 132 is assigned one buffer surface 36 per service
loca-
tion 40a..40b. However, in principle, the unloading station may also comprise
only one buffer
surface 36. The buffer surface 36 is preferably formed on a base of the
picking storage 1d.
This way, it is possible that the loaded (first) transport loading aid(s) 107d
are buffered on the
buffer surface 36, near the unloading device(s) 132, and are transported as
needed to the re-
spective service location 40a..40b of the unloading device(s) 132 over a short
distance by
means of the transport vehicles 9.
The unloading station may also have one or multiple waiting zone(s) 37 (not
depicted), as de-
scribed above in detail.
According to a first embodiment, the unloading device 132 may specifically
comprise a gan-
try robot. Gantry robots are understood to be industrial robots, which in
their base axes are
constructed from linear axles. An area gantry is used for loading.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 77 -
The gantry robot comprises
i) vertical standing members, longitudinal beams and transverse beams,
which are con-
nected to one another, forming a support construction 142
ii) a first gantry slide 143 mounted on the support structure 142 and
horizontally movable
in a first direction (x-direction) along a guide assembly (which is arranged
on one of the
longitudinal beams) via a first drive device,
iii) a gantry arm 144 affixed to the first gantry slide 143 and movable
therewith in the first
direction (x-direction), and
iv) a second gantry slide 145 mounted on the gantry arm 144 and vertically
movable in a
second direction (z-direction) along a guide assembly via a second drive
device, and
v) a third gantry slide 146 arranged on the second gantry slide 145 and
horizontally mova-
ble in a third direction (y-direction) along a guide assembly via a third
drive device, and
vi) the transfer device 147, which is arranged on the third gantry slide
146 and is mounted
on the third gantry slide 146 so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis.
In the course of the unloading movement, the article carrier 3, partial
article carrier stack or
article carrier stack 8 is picked up by the transfer device 147 and/or the
gripping system from
the transport loading aid 107e, which is provided at the service location
40a..40b, and subse-
quently transferred onto a target loading aid 34 according to the shown
embodiment with the
first stack loading aid 100a. If the picking storage id comprises the second
stack loading
aids 100a, the article carrier 3, partial article carrier stack or article
carrier stack 8 is picked up
by the gripping system from the transport loading aid 107e, which is provided
at the service
location 40a..40b, and subsequently transferred onto the target loading aid
134.
The shown gantry robot proves advantageous if the available ceiling height is
low.
According to an embodiment, which is not depicted, the unloading device 132
(reloading de-
vice) may comprise a jointed-arm robot, as described above.
The schematically shown embodiment of the automatically operated unloading
device 132
comprises a service location 139a for a first stack loading aid 100a (or
second stack loading
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 78 -
aid 100b) or multiple service locations 139a..139b for first stack loading
aids 100a (or second
stack loading aids 100b) and the transfer device 147 that is movable relative
to the service lo-
cation 139a..139b for loading the transport loading aid 34, 134 provided at
the service loca-
tion 139a..139b.
If the unloading station has more than one automatically operated unloading
device 132 , each
unloading device 132 comprises a service location 139a for a target loading
aid 34, 134 or
multiple service locations 139a..139b for target loading aids 34, 134 and the
transfer de-
vice 147 that is movable relative to the service location 139a..139b for
loading the transport
loading aid 34, 134 provided at the service location 139a..139b.
As described above, the (additional) target loading aid 34 with the first
stack loading aid 100a
may be provided at the service location 139a..139b or the target loading aid
134 (which is
formed by the second stack loading aid 100b) may be provided at the service
loca-
tion 139a..139b.
It also proves advantageolis if the unloading station has at least one
separate buffer sur-
face 136 near the unloading device 132 or near each unloading device 132. In
the depicted
embodiment, the unloading device 132 is assigned one buffer surface 136 per
service loca-
tion 139a..139b. However, in principle, the unloading station may also
comprise only one
buffer surface 136. The buffer surface 136 is preferably formed on a base of
the picking stor-
age id. This way, it is possible that the empty target loading aids 34 with
the first stack load-
ing aid 100a and the target loading aid 134 with the second stack loading aid
100b are buff-
ered on the buffer surface 136, near the unloading device(s) 132, and are
transported as
needed to the respective service location I39a..139b of the unloading
device(s) 132 over a
short distance by means of the transport vehicles 9.
According to the shown embodiment, the target loading aids 34 with the first
stack loading
aid 100a and the target loading aid 134 with the second stack loading aid 100b
are transported
to the respective service location 139a..139b of the unloading device(s) 132
and are trans-
ported away from the respective service location 139a.,139b of the unloading
device(s) 132
by means of the transport vehicles 9. The above-described fixed-installation
first conveying
system 33 for transporting completely loaded target loading aids away and the
fixed-installa-
tion second conveying system 35 for supplying empty target loading aids are
not provided ac-
cording to this embodiment.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 79 -
Autonomously displaceable, driverless transport vehicles 9 (of a driverless
transport system),
which are automatically controlled by the superordinate main computer, are
used for trans-
porting the empty transport loading aids 107 and the transport loading aids
107 loaded with
article carrier stacks as well as the empty target loading aids 34 with the
first stack loading
aid 100a and the empty target loading aids 134 with the second stack loading
aid 100b and
target loading aids with the first stack loading aid 100a loaded with the
order stacks 101 and
the loaded target loading aids 134 with the second stack loading aid 100b. The
control sys-
tem 47 may comprise said main computer.
As evident in Figs. 9b and 10c, the unloading station may additionally
comprise one or multi-
ple unloading device(s) 151 (schematically adumbrated) operated in a partially
automated
manner, on which the article carriers 3 or article carrier stacks 8 are
transferred from a third
transport loading aid 150 onto one or multiple target loading aids 34, 134. It
is possible for
only one single unloading device 151 to be provided at which the article
carriers 3 or article
carrier stacks 8 are transferred from a third transport loading aid 150 onto
one or multiple tar-
get loading aids 34, 134. The number of unloading devices 151 may vary
depending on the
required picking performance. These unloading devices 151 are preferably
constructed identi-
cally.
At the unloading device(s) 151, article carriers 3 are picked, which cannot be
automatically
picked at the unloading device(s) 132 because the base surfaces of the article
carriers are
smaller than 300 mm x 400 mm or the article carriers 3 have a dimensional
stability that is too
low to be manipulated automatically.
The unloading device(s) 151 operated in a partially automated manner each
comprise a first
service location 152a for a third transport loading aid 150, a second service
location 152b for
a first stack loading aid 100a (or second stack loading aid 100b) and a
working area 155 for a
picker (not depicted for reasons of clarity). The working area 155 may also
comprise a work-
ing surface 156 with wheels and the like in order to make an ergonomic
manipulation of the
article carriers 3 possible. The first service location 152a and the second
service location 152b
are arranged so as to be located opposite one another. Additionally, the
unloading device 151
may comprise an input and/or output device (not depicted), by means of which
picking in-
structions for the picker are output and at which picking commands are entered
by the picker.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 80 -
As described above, the (additional) target loading aid 34 with the first
stack loading aid 100a
may be provided at the service location 152 or the target loading aid 134
(which is formed by
the second stack loading aid 100b) may be provided at the service location
152b.
It should be noted here that the unloading device(s) 151 operated in a
partially automated
manner may also be used in the picking storages la..1c (without additional
stack loading aids)
described above. In this case, the third transport loading aids 150 are
provided at the first ser-
vice location 152a and the target loading aids 34 (without stack loading aids)
are provided at
the second service location 152b.
While according to the above-described embodiments, an automated picking
operation takes
place at the unloading devices 32; 65; 75; 132, a manual picking operation is
carried out at the
unloading device(s) 151.
In the mentioned context, "partially automated" means that transporting third
transport load-
ing aids 150 (or the first/second transport loading aids 7) to the unloading
device 151, trans-
porting third transport loading aids 150 away from the unloading device 151,
transporting first
stack loading aids 100a (or second stack loading aid 100b or the target
loading aids 34) to the
unloading device 151, transporting first stack loading aids 100a (or second
stack loading
aid 100b or the target loading aids 34) away from the unloading device 151 is
carried out au-
tomatically and picking is carried out manually by a picker.
The third transport loading aid 150 is transported to the first service
location 152a by means
of the transport vehicle 9 and transferred to said service location 152a so as
to provide the
third transport loading aid 150 at the service location 152a, or transferred
from the first ser-
vice location 152a onto the transport vehicle 9 so as to transport the third
transport loading
aid 150 away from the service location 152a.
Likewise, the first stack loading aid 100a (or second stack loading aid 100b
or the target load-
ing aid 34) is transported by means of the transport vehicle 9 to the second
service loca-
tion 152b and transferred onto it so as to provide the first stack loading aid
100a (or second
stack loading aid 100b or the target loading aid 34) at the service location
152b, it is trans-
ferred from the second service location 152b onto the transport vehicle 9 so
as to transport the
first stack loading aid 100a (or second stack loading aid 100b or the target
loading aid 34)
away from the service location 152b.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 81 -
It also proves advantageous if the unloading station has at least one separate
buffer sur-
face 153a for the third transport loading aid 150 and at least one separate
buffer surface 153b
for the first stack loading aid 100a (or second stack loading aid 100b or the
target loading
aid 34) near the unloading device 151 or neat each unloading device 151. In
the depicted em-
bodiment, the unloading device 132 is assigned one buffer surface 153a per
service loca-
tion 152a or one buffer surface 153b per service location 152b. However, in
principle, the un-
loading station may also comprise only one buffer surface 153a or buffer
surface 153b. The
buffer surface 153a, 153b is preferably formed on a base of the picking
storage Id. This way,
it is possible that the loaded (third) transport loading aid(s) 150 and the
first stack loading
aid 100a (the second stack loading aid 100b or the target loading aid 34) are
buffered on the
buffer surface 153a, 153b, near the unloading device(s) 151, and are
transported as needed to
the respective service location 153a, 153b of the unloading device(s) 151 over
a short distance
by means of the transport vehicles 9.
According to the depicted embodiment, the first service location 152a is
formed on a lifting
platform 154a, on which the third transport loading aid 150 is parked and the
article carrier
stack 8 can be lifted to a service level in order to make ergonomic working
possible, and the
second service location 152b is formed on a lifting platform 154b, on which
the first stack
loading aid 100a (or second stack loading aid 100b or the target loading aid
34) can be parked
and the target loading aid 34, 134 (of the target loading aid 34, 134 is not
loaded yet) or an or-
der stack 101 (if the target loading aid 34, 134 has already been loaded by
means of one or
multiple automatically operated loading device(s) 132) can be lifted to a
service level in order
to make ergonomic working possible.
Figs. 9a and 10d show a loading station for loading third transport loading
aids 150, which
loading station comprises one or multiple automatically operated second
loading de-
vice(s) 160 (schematically adumbrated). The picking storage Id comprises this
loading sta-
tion. The second loading device 160 comprises a service location 161 for an
empty (third)
transport loading aid 150 and a transfer device 162 for loading the transport
loading aid 150
provided on the service location 161, which transfer device 162 is movable
relative to the ser-
vice location 161.
It also proves advantageous if the loading station has at least one separate
buffer surface 163
near the second loading device 160 or near each second loading device 160. In
the depicted
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 82 -
embodiment, the second loading device 160 is assigned one buffer surface 163
per service lo-
cation 161. However, in principle, the loading station may also comprise only
one buffer sur-
face 160. The buffer surface 160 is preferably formed on a base of the picking
storage id.
As evident from the figures, the third transport loading aid 150 may be
different from the
aforementioned transport loading aids 7, 107. However, this is not
imperatively necessary.
The third transport loading aids 150 are loaded in the delivery zone 4 at the
loading station by
means of an automatically operated second loading device 160 (schematically
adumbrated).
Preferably, the article carrier stack group 10 with the pallet (delivery load
carrier) is trans-
ferred onto the third transport loading aid 150 unamendedly at the second
loading device 160.
as evident in Figs. 9a, 10d. Thus, no depalletizing operation takes place
before. Such article
carrier stack groups 10 are most times made up of article carrier stacks 8
containing articles of
just one type. According to the embodiment shown, the article carrier stacks 8
are delivered to
the delivery zone 4 on pallets (delivery load carrier) as an article carrier
stack group 10 and
the conveying device 112b conveys them to the loading device 160.
An empty (third) transport loading aid 150 is transported to the loading
station by means of an
autonomously displaceable, driverless transport vehicle 9 and provided at the
second loading
device 160 or on a buffer surface 163. After being loaded (with the article
carrier stack
group 10), the (third) transport loading aid 150 is transported from the
loading station, in par-
ticular from the first second loading device 160, to the storage zone 5 by
means of the autono-
mously displaceable, driverless transport vehicles 9 and is parked on a
storage area 31 in the
storage zone 5.
Figs. 9a and 10d also show a lading station with one or multiple automatically
operated lading
device(s) 170, which the picking storage ld may comprise and which make lading
the first
stack loading aid 100a by means of a target loading aid 34 possible as long as
a first stack
loading aid 100a is used in the picking storage id. The target loading aid 34
is parked on the
base (Fig. 12a) of the first stack loading aid 100a.
The lading device(s) 170 each comprise a service location 171 for an empty
first stack loading
aid 100a and a transfer device 172 for loading the stack loading aid 100a
provided on the ser-
vice location 171, which transfer device 172 is movable relative to the
service location 171.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 83 -
It also proves advantageous if the lading station has at least one separate
buffer surface 173
near the lading device 170 or near each lading device 170. In the depicted
embodiment, the
lading device 170 is assigned one buffer surface 173 per service location 171.
However, in
principle, the lading station may also comprise only one buffer surface 173.
The buffer sur-
face 173 is preferably formed on a base of the picking storage Id.
An empty first stack loading aid 100a is transported to the lading station by
means of an au-
tonomously displaceable, driverless transport vehicle 9 and provided at the
lading device 170
or on a buffer surface 173. After being laded by means of a target loading aid
34. the stack
loading aid 100a is transported from the lading station, in particular from
the lading de-
vice 170, to the unloading station (reloading station) by means of an
autonomously displacea-
ble, driverless transport vehicle 9.
=
Figs. 9a and 10d also show a order stack load securing station with one or
multiple automati-
cally operated load securing device(s) 180, which the picking storage id may
comprise and
which makes securing the load of an order stack 101 by means of a securing
means 181 possi-
ble.
The load securing device(s) 180 each comprise a service location 182 for a
loaded first stack
loading aid 100a (or a loaded second stack loading aid 100b), a target loading
aid lifting de-
vice and a securing means wrapping tool or a securing means strapping tool.
The target load-
ing aid lifting device comprises a vertically adjustable lift frame 183 and
telescopic forks 184
mounted thereon, the latter being movable between a retracted initial position
and a protrud-
ing receiving position.
It should be noted that in the receiving position, the telescopic forks 184,
on the one hand, re-
ceive the target loading aid 34 together with the order stack 101 if no stack
loading aids are
used, as shown in Figs. la to lc, or, if the first stack loading aid 100a is
used, as shown in
Fig. 12a, and on the other hand, only the order stack 101 if the second stack
loading aid 100b
is used, as shown in Fig. 12c, wherein the target loading aid 34 together with
the order
stack 101 or the order stack 101 may be lifted/lowered with a lifting movement
of the lift
frame 183.
It also proves advantageous if the order stack load securing station has at
least one separate
buffer surface 185 near the load securing device 180 or near each load
securing device 180. In
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 84 -
the depicted embodiment, the load securing device 180 is assigned one buffer
surface 185 per
service location 182. However, in principle, the order stack load securing
station may also
comprise only one buffer surface 185. The buffer surface 185 is preferably
formed on a base
of the picking storage Id.
According to the embodiment shown, the load securing device 180 comprises a
wrapping
tool, which wraps a thermoplastic film in a force-fit manner in the
circumferential direction
around the order stack 101 while the order stack 101 is lifted from the first
stack loading
aid 100a or the second stack loading aid 100b by means of the target loading
aid lifting de-
vice. The thermoplastic film constitutes the securing means 181.
In the alternative, a strapping tool may also be used in the load securing
device 180, which is
configured to fasten at least one sealing strap in a substantially horizontal
direction circumfer-
entially at the order stack 101 while the order stack 101 is in the load
securing device 180.
The sealing strap constitutes the securing means 181.
A loaded first stack loading aid 100a (or second stack loading aid 100b) is
transported to the
lc order stack load securing station by means of an autonomously
displaceable, driverless
transport vehicle 9 and provided at the load securing device 180 or on a
buffer surface 185.
After the order stack 101 has been removed from the first stack loading aid
100a, the empty
first stack loading aid 100a may be transported by means of an autonomously
displaceable,
driverless transport vehicle 9 from the order stack load securing station, in
particular from the
load securing device 180 to the lading station.
If the stack loading aids comprise the second stack loading aid 100b, after
the order stack 101
has been removed from the second stack loading aid 100b, the empty second
stack loading
aid 100b may be transported by means of an autonomously displaceable,
driverless transport
vehicle 9 from the order stack load securing station, in particular from the
load securing de-
vice 180 to the unloading station.
It should be noted that also the first, second and third embodiment of the
picking storage la,
1 b, 1 c may comprise the automatically operated second loading device(s), the
optional lading
station, and the order stack load securing station.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 85 -
In Figs. ha to 11 c, a fourth embodiment of a transport loading aid 107. Fig.
lla shows the
unloaded, empty transport loading aid 107 and Fig. lib shows the loaded
transport loading
aid 107. Such a transport loading aid 107 may also, by means of a short
"offset motion", pro-
vide multiple article carrier stacks 8 consecutively at the service locations
described above.
The "offset motion" is preferably performed by a transport vehicle 9. Such a
transport loading
aid 107 can also provide multiple article carrier stacks 8 consecutively at
the service locations
by means of a "rotating motion" about the vertical axis. The "rotating motion"
is preferably
performed by a transport vehicle 9.
The transport loading aid 107 again comprises the base 55 and side walls 56a,
56b, 56c, 56d
connected thereto, each for the stabilization of the position of article
carrier stacks 8 and a
first loading and unloading opening 57a and second loading and unloading
opening 57d lo-
cated opposite the side wall 56c on a first side, and a third loading and
unloading opening 57c
and fourth loading and unloading opening 57d located opposite the side wall
56c on a second
side.
The side walls 56a, 56b, 56c, 56d are preferably designed essentially at the
height of the arti-
cle carrier stack 8, however at least at a sufficient height for the topmost
article carrier 3 in the
article carrier stack 8 to be surrounded by the side walls 56a, 56b, 56c, 56d
at least in some
regions. Preferably, the first/second/third/fourth loading and unloading
opening 57a, 57b, 57c,
57d each extend over the entire height of the side walls 56a, 56b, 56c, 56d.
It is advantageous if the depth of the one accommodating shaft or the multiple
accommodat-
ing shafts, which is/are limited between the first side walls 56a, 56b, 56d,
is smaller than a
minimum width of the article carriers 3, so that the article carriers 3 always
protrude at the
front edge of the first side walls 56a, 56b, 56d if the article carriers 3 are
mounted in the cor-
responding accommodating shaft, as can be seen in Fig. llb and, for example,
in Fig. 15a to
Fig. 15f or Fig. 16a to Fig. 16k. This way, a reliable clamping and gripping
function is ena-
bled.
The transport loading aid 107 may comprise outer first side walls 56a, 56b
running in parallel
to one another and a parallel inner side wall 56d. The second side wall 56c
extends between
the first side walls 56a, 56b, 56d. The inner first side wall 56d is arranged
in the center region
of the base 55 such that the side walls 56a, 56b, 56c, 56d delimit two
accommodating shafts
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
=
- 86 -
on a first side relative to the side wall 56c, and two accommodating shafts on
a second side
relative to the side wall 56c.
In each accommodating shaft, at least one article carrier stack 8 can be
accommodated for
transport/for storage. In the depicted embodiment, one article carrier stack 8
with a base area
of the article carriers of 600 mm x 400 mm is accommodated in the first
accommodation
shaft, and two article carrier stacks 8 each with a base area of the article
carriers of 300 mm x
400 mm are accommodated in the third and fourth accommodation shafts. This
transport load-
ing aid 107 can transport multiple article carrier stacks 8 simultaneously.
It proves to be advantageous if the outer first side walls 56a. 56b and
possibly also the inner
first side wall 56d are configured having lead-in chamfers (not depicted) for
enabling easy
loading and/or unloading of the transport loading aid 107.
As can be particularly seen in Fig. 11c, the second side wall 56c may comprise
a first side
wall part 200a and a second side wall part 200b. The first side wall part 200a
is inclined at an
inclination angle towards a vertical plane spanned between the first side
walls 56a, 56b, 56d
such that the first side wall part 200a is inclined backwards with increasing
vertical distance
from the base 55. The second side wall part 200b is inclined at an inclination
angle towards a
vertical plane spanned between the first side walls 56a, 56b, 56d such that
the second side
wall part 200b is inclined backwards with increasing vertical distance from
the base 55.
The inclination angle al is between 2 and 5 .
As can also be seen in Fig. 11c, the base 55 also comprises a first base part
201a and a second
base part 201b. The first base part 201a is inclined downwards in the
direction of the second
side wall 56c at an inclination angle towards a horizontal plane spanned
between the first side
walls 56a, 56b, 56d. The second base part 201b is inclined downwards in the
direction of the
second side wall 56c at an inclination angle towards a horizontal plane
spanned between the
first side walls 56a, 56b, 56d.
The inclination angle ot2 is preferably larger than the inclination angle a)
and amounts to be-
tween 3 and 6 .
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 87 -
The base 55 on its upper side again forms a parking surface 58, on which the
article carrier
stacks 8 can be parked, and on its bottom side a transport surface 59, against
which the load-
ing platform 51 of the transport vehicle 9 can be placed. In concrete terms,
the parking sur-
face 58 is formed on the base wall parts 201a, 201b.
Additionally, the transport loading aid 107 may comprise adjustable feet 60
which are affixed
to the base 55. The transport loading aid 107 is parked via the adjustable
feet 60 on the base.
In an embodiment that is not shown, wheels instead of adjustable feet 60 may
also be pro-
vided on the base 55.
At this point, it should also be noted that the transport loading aid 107 may
also be configured
according to the embodiments described above and that the side walls 56a, 56b,
56d are ar-
ranged accordingly and one single accommodation shaft may be arranged between
them
(Fig. 4a, 4b) or accommodation shafts separated by the side wall 56c (Fig. 5a,
5b) or accom-
modation shafts separated by the side wall 56d (Fig. 6a,6b).
It should further be noted at this point that the transport loading aid 7, 7',
7" may also be con-
figured according to the embodiment described in Figs. lla to 11c and that the
side wall 56c
comprises a first side wall part 200a, which is inclined at an inclination
angle towards a verti-
cal plane spanned between the first side walls 56a, 56b or 56a, 56b, 56d such
that the first side
wall part 200a is inclined backwards with increasing vertical distance from
the base 55.
Likewise, the base 55 may comprise a first base part 201a, which is inclined
downwards in
the direction towards the second side wall 56c at an inclination angle towards
a horizontal
plane spanned between the first side walls 56a, 56b or 56a, 56b, 56d.
As described above, the picking storage la, 1 b, 1c, id may comprise one or
multiple stack
loading aids, each for stabilizing the position of an order stack 101
assembled of the article
carriers 3 according to a picking order.
In Figs. 12a and 12b, the first stack loading aid 100a is shown, and in Fig.
12c, the second
stack loading aid 100b is shown.
The first stack loading aid 100a comprises a base 205 and stack walls 206a,
206b connected
thereto. Preferably, a first stack wall 206a and a second stack wall 206b are
provided, which
protrude perpendicularly at the base 205 and include a right angle.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 88 -
The base 205 can comprise a parking surface 207 on its upper side, on which a
target loading
aid 34 can be parked with the order stack 101, and a transport surface 208 on
its lower side,
against which a loading platform of the transport vehicle 9 can be placed.
The second stack loading aid 100b likewise comprises a base 205 and stack
walls 206a, 206b
connected thereto. Preferably, a first stack wall 206a and a second stack wall
206b are pro-
vided, which protrude perpendicularly at the base 205 and include a right
angle.
As opposed to the first stack loading aid 100a, the base comprises on its
upper side protruding
parking blocks 211, which are separated from another by receiving channels
210, on which
parking blocks the article carriers 3 of the order stack 101 (not shown) may
be parked, such
that the at least one second stack loading aid 100b forms the target loading
aid 134.
In addition, the base 205 comprises on its lower side a transport surface 208,
against which a
loading platform of the transport vehicle 9 may be placed.
Even if only the first stack wall 206a and the second stack wall 206b are
provided, sufficient
stabilization of the position and safe transport of the order stack 101 is
enabled by means of
the first stack loading aid 100a and the second loading aid 100b. Moreover,
the load securing
device 180 may be operated with high performance as the first/second stack
loading aid 100a.
100b may already be transported away from the load securing device 180 as soon
as the target
loading aid 34 with the order stack 101 has been slightly lifted from the base
205 of the first
stack loading aid 100a, or the order stack 101 has been slightly lifted from
the base 205 of the
second stack loading aid 100b. Therefore, it is not necessary to lift the
order stack 101 com-
pletely and over the entire height of the first/second stack loading aid 100a,
100b before the
first/second stack loading aid 100a, 100b may be transported away.
Additionally, the first stack loading aid 100a / the second stack loading aid
100b may com-
prise adjustable feet 212, which are affixed to the base 205. The first stack
loading aid 100a /
second stack loading aid 100b is parked on the base via the adjustable feet
212. In an embodi-
ment that is not shown, wheels instead of adjustable feet 212 may also be
provided on the
base 55.
As not explained in detail, the transport loading aid 107 may also be provided
with a data car-
rier 92a, as described above. Likewise, the first stack loading aid 100a / the
second loading
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 89 -
aid 100b may be provided with a data carrier for identifying the first stack
loading aid 100a /
the second stack loading aid 100b by means of a detection device by reading a
data carrier.
The method described above for storing and picking articles 2 in the picking
storage la, lb,
1 c, id may additionally comprise the following steps:
- providing stack loading aids 100a, 100b, each for stabilizing the
position of an or-
der stack 101 assembled of the article carriers 3 according to a picking
order.
Providing the stack loading aids in the picking storage la, lb, 1 c, id may
comprise providing
one or multiple first stack loading aid(s) 100a and/or one or multiple second
stack loading
aid(s) 100b.
If the first stack loading aids 100a are used in the picking storage la, lb,
lc, ld, the method
may additionally comprise the following steps:
- lading the first stack loading aid 100a with a target loading
aid 34 at the lading
station by means of one or multiple automatically operated lading device(s)
170
by parking the target loading aid 34 on the base 205.
If the second stack loading aids 100b are used in the picking storage la, lb,
lc, Id, the
method may additionally comprise the following steps:
- defining the second stack loading aid 100b as the target
loading aid 134 by the
second stack loading aids 100b forming the target loading aids 134.
If the first stack loading aids 100a and the second stack loading aids 100b
are used in the
picking storage la, 1b, lc, 1d, the method may additionally comprise the
following steps:
- lading the first stack loading aid 100a with a target loading
aid 34 at the lading sta-
tion by means of one or multiple automatically operated lading device(s) 170
by
parking the target loading aid 34 on the base 205, and
- defining the second loading aid 100b as the target loading aid
134.
The method described above for storing and picking articles 2 in the picking
storage I a, lb,
1 c, id may additionally comprise the following steps:
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 90 -
- providing one or multiple automatically operated second loading
device(s) 160,
- providing an article carrier stack group 10 of multiple article carrier
stacks 8 ar-
ranged next to one another with article carriers 3 arranged on top of one
another in
the delivery zone 4 of the picking storage la, 1 b, 1 c, Id,
- providing empty (third) transport loading aids 150 each for receiving and
stabiliz-
ing the position of an article carrier stack group 10,
- transporting empty (third) transport loading aids 150 by means
of the autono-
mously displaceable, driverless transport vehicles 9 to the loading station
and
providing one or multiple empty (third) transport loading aid(s) 150 either on
one
or on multiple automatically operated second loading device(s) 160 or on a
buffer
surface 163 close to the second loading device(s) 160,
- loading one of the empty (third) transport loading aids 160, which is
provided at
the automatically operated second loading device 160, with at least one
article car-
rier stack group 10 from the delivery zone 4 by means of the automatically
oper-
ated second loading device 160,
- transporting of the (third) transport loading aid 150 loaded with the
article carrier
stack group 10 from the loading station to the storage zone 5 by means of the
au-
tonomously displaceable, driverless transport vehicle 9,
- parking the (third) transport loading aid 150 loaded with at least one
article carrier
stack 8 on the storage surface 31 in the storage zone 5,
- storing the (third) transport loading aid 150 loaded with the article
carrier stack
group 10 in the storage zone 5.
The method may further comprise the following steps:
- transporting empty target loading aids 34; 134 by means of the
autonomously dis-
placeable, driverless transport vehicles 9 to the unloading station and
providing
said empty target loading aids 34; 134 either at one or at multiple partially
auto-
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 91 -
mated unloading device(s) 151 or on a buffer surface 152b close the unloading
de-
vice(s) 151 by means of one or multiple autonomously displaceable, driverless
transport vehicle(s) 9, and/or
- transporting partially loaded target loading aids 34; 134 by
means of the autono-
mously displaceable, driverless transport vehicles 9 from the automatically
oper-
ated unloading device 32; 65; 75; 132 to the partially automated unloading de-
vice 151 or to a buffer surface 152b close to the partially automated
unloading de-
vice(s) 151 after the article carriers 3 have been assembled on the partially
loaded
target loading aid 34; 134 at the automatically operated unloading device 32;
65:
75; 132 and if article carriers 3 are still required for the mentioned picking
order
which are provided via the (third) target loading aids 150 at the partially
auto-
mated unloading device(s) 151.
Processing a picking order that requires article carriers 3 from the (third)
transport loading
aid 150 may comprise the following steps:
- transporting one or multiple (third) transport loading aid(s) 150
containing the ar-
ticle carriers 3 required for the picking order from the storage zone 5 to the
un-
loading station and providing said (third) transport loading aid(s) 150 either
at one
or at multiple partially automated unloading device(s) 151 or on a buffer sur-
face 153a close the unloading device(s) 151 by means of one or multiple autono-
mously displaceable, driverless transport vehicle(s) 9,
- manually unloading one or multiple ones of the (third)
transport loading
aid(s) 150, which is/(are) provided at the partially automated unloading de-
vice(s) 151, by removing the article carriers 3 required for processing the
men-
tioned picking order by a picker, and
- manually assembling the article carriers 3 on one or multiple (empty or
partially
loaded) target loading aids 34, 134 for the mentioned picking order by a
picker if
the target loading aid(s) 34, 134 is/(are) provided at the partially automated
un-
loading device(s) 151.
Assembling the article carriers 3 may comprise the following steps:
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 92 -
- assembling the article carriers 3 according to the mentioned
picking order to the
order stack 101 on the target loading aid 34 in the first stack loading aid
100a or
on the base 205 of the second stack loading aid 100b, said first stack loading
aid 100a or second stack loading aid 100b being provided at the partially auto-
mated unloading device(s) 151.
The method described above for storing and picking articles 2 in the picking
storage I a, 1 b,
lc, Id may additionally comprise the following steps
- providing an order stack load securing station either with one or
multiple automat-
ically operated load securing device(s) 180 or with one or multiple
automatically
operated load securing device(s) 180 and a buffer surface 185 close to the
load se-
curing device(s) 180, said load securing devices 180 being formed with a
securing
means 181 for securing transport of an order stack 101,
- transporting stack loading aids 100a, 100b each loaded with one order
stack 101
by means of the autonomously displaceable, driverless transport vehicles 9 to
the
mentioned order stack load securing station and providing one or multiple
stack
loading aid(s) 100a, 100b either on one or on multiple automatically operated
load
securing device(s) 180 or on a buffer surface 185 close to the load securing
de-
vice(s) 180,
- removing the order stack 101 from the stack loading aid 100a, 100b by
means of a
lifting device (lift frame 183 and telescopic forks 184) , by means of which
the
target loading aid 34 with the order stack 101 is lifted from the first stack
loading
aid 100a, if the picking storage la; lb; be; id comprises the first stack
loading
aid 100a, or by means of which the order stack 101 is lifted from the second
stack
loading aid 100b if the picking storage 1 a; lb; 1 c; Id comprises the second
stack
loading aid 100b,
- securing the order stack 101 with the securing means 181 by
means of the auto-
matically operated load securing device 180, in that the securing means 181 is
placed circumferentially around the order stack 101,
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 93 -
- transporting the secured order stack 101, in particular by means of
the autono-
mously displaceable, driverless transport vehicles 9, from the load securing
station
to a distribution zone.
According to the first embodiment, the target loading aid 34 with the order
stack 101 is lifted
relative to the first stack loading aid 100a, and the order stack 101 lifted
from the first stack
loading aid 100a is simultaneously wrapped with the securing means 181 for
stabilization.
Subsequently, the secured order stack 101 is lowered again by means of the
lifting device and
transferred to a stationary conveying system (not shown) or to an autonomously
displaceable,
driverless transport vehicle 9. The order stack 101 now secured may be
transported from the
load securing station to a distribution zone (consolidation area or goods-out
point). In this
case, the target loading aid 34 forms the distribution load carrier.
According to the second embodiment, the order stack 101 is lifted relative to
the second stack
loading aid 100a, and the order stack 101 lifted from the second stack loading
aid 100a is sim-
ultaneously wrapped with the securing means 181 for stabilization.
Subsequently, the secured
order stack 101 is lowered again by means of the lifting device and
transferred to a distribu-
tion load carrier, preferably a roll container, a pallet and the like. The
distribution load carrier
is transported by means of a stationary conveying system (not shown) or an
autonomously
displaceable, driverless transport vehicle 9 from the load securing station to
a distribution
zone (consolidation area or goods-out point).
Transporting the unloaded stack loading aids 100a, 100b by means of the
autonomously dis-
placeable, driverless transport vehicles 9 comprises the following steps:
-
transporting the first stack loading aid 100a from the load securing station
to the
lading station with one or multiple automatically operated lading device(s)
170, if
a first stack loading aid is 100a used in the picking storage la; lb; 1c; ld,
and/or
- transporting
the second stack loading aid 100b from the load securing station to
the unloading station and providing the second stack loading aid(s) 100b
either at
an automatically operated unloading device 32; 65; 75; 132 or on a buffer sur-
face 136 close to the reloading device 32; 65; 75; 132, if a second stack
loading
aid 100b is used in the picking storage I a; lb; 1 c; Id, and/or
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 94 -
- transporting the second stack loading aid 100b from the load
securing station to
the unloading station and providing the second stack loading aid(s) 100b
either at
a partially automated unloading device 151 or on a buffer surface 153b close
to
the unloading device 151, if a second stack loading aid 100b is used in the
picking
storage la; lb; 1c; id.
In Figs. 13a to 13d and 14a and 14b, the transfer device 147 is provided for
automatically un-
loading a transport loading aid 7, 107 with article carriers 3 stacked on top
of one another and
for loading a target loading aid 34, 134 with article carriers 3 by means of
clamping gripping.
This means that no suction gripping is provided, which would strongly limit
the range of dif-
ferent article carriers 3. The transfer device 147 comprises a clamping
gripper unit, in particu-
lar the clamping jaws 254a, 254b.
Such a transfer device 147 may be used at an automatically operated unloading
device 32, 65,
75, 132 of the unloading station (reloading station) described above for a
picking storage I a,
lb, 1 c, id. The unloading device 32, 65, 75, 132 (reloading device) comprises
the transfer de-
vice 147, which is spatially movable relative to a support construction 42,
142. The transfer
device 147 is movable in an x-y-z direction and rotatable around a vertical
axis (z-axis).
The transfer device 147 comprises:
- base frame 250,
- loading tongues 252a, 252b movable by first drive devices 251a,
251b relative to
the base frame 250 and in a first direction (y) independently of one another
be-
tween a retracted starting position (as shown in Figs. 13a, 13b with full
lines) and
an extended receiving position (as shown in Figs. 14a, 14b with dashed lines).
said loading tongues receiving at least one article carrier 3 in an extended
receiv-
ing position,
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 95 -
- clamping jaws 254a, 254b movable relative to one another in a
second direction
(x) by at least one second drive device 253a, 253b between a retracted opened
po-
sition (as shown in Figs. 13c, 13d with dashed lines) and an abutting clamping
po-
sition (as shown in Figs. 13c, 13d and Figs. 14a, 14b with full lines), and
- a lift frame 256 movable in a third direction (z) relative to the base
frame 250 by
means of at least one third drive device 255, on which lift frame the clamping
jaws 254a, 254b are mounted and by means of which the clamping jaws 254a,
254b are movable between a lower height position (as shown in Fig. 15c) and an
upper height position (as shown in Fig. 15d), such that, for unloading the
transport
loading aid 7, 107,
- the at least one article carrier 3 may be lifted by the
clamping jaws 254a,
254b set against the at least one article carrier 3 (Fig. 15d), and
- at least one of the loading tongues 252a, 252b may be pushed
at least partially
under the at least one article carrier 3 lifted by the clamping jaws 254a,
254b
in order to receive the at least one article carrier 3 in the extended
receiving
position (Figs. 15e and 15f).
In the embodiment shown, the clamping jaws 254a, 254b are movable by means of
second
drive devices 253a, 253b between the retracted opened position and the
abutting clamping po-
sition. However, only one of the clamping jaws 254a, 254b, for example the
first clamping
jaw 254a, may be movable relative to the second clamping jaw 254b by means of
one single
second drive device 253a.
As indicated in Fig. 13c, the first clamping jaw 254a and the second clamping
jaw 254b form
clamping jaw webs running parallel to one another, which, in the abutting
clamping position
of the clamping jaws 254a, 254b, are brought into contact with the article
carrier walls 265a,
265b of an article carrier 3 facing away from one another or the article
carrier walls 265a
(Fig. 14a) of article carriers 3 (Fig. 16f) arranged next to one another. The
clamping jaw webs
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 96 -
may also form spring tongues separated by slots, which may also be placed
against uneven ar-
ticle carrier walls 265a, 265b particularly well.
The transfer device 147 may also comprise a stop device with one or multiple
stop ele-
ments 257a, 257b against which the at least one article carrier 3 may be
placed, especially if
the latter is on the loading tongues 252a, 252b (Fig. 14a) which have been
moved into the ex-
tended receiving position or on the loading tongue 252b (Fig. 14b) which has
been moved
into the extended receiving position.
According to a possible embodiment, the first clamping jaw 254a is arranged on
a first clamp-
ing jaw frame 258a, and the second clamping jaw 254b is arranged on a second
clamping jaw
frame 258b, wherein one of the first and second clamping jaw frames 258a, 258b
is adjustable
in a second direction (x) at least between a first configuration width and a
second configura-
tion width by means of at least one fourth drive device 259, so as to receive
an article carrier 3
with a first longitudinal dimension (as shown in Fig. 14a - for example 600
mm) in the first
configuration width between the first clamping jaw 254a and the second
clamping jaw 254b
and to receive an article carrier 3 with a second longitudinal dimension (as
shown in Fig. 14b
- for example 300 mm) in the second configuration width between the first
clamping jaw 254a
and the second clamping jaw 254b.
By the change in width, the transfer device 147 may also manipulate article
carriers 3 with
different longitudinal dimensions. Although only a first configuration width
and a second
configuration width are shown, additional configuration widths may also be
additionally set
as well.
It can also prove advantageous if at least one of the clamping jaws 254a,
254b, for example
the clamping jaw 254a, as indicated in Fig. 13a, for loading the target
loading aid is 34, 134
additionally movable in the first direction (y) relative to the frame 250 into
a retracted release
position by means of a fifth drive device 260a, 260b. In the retracted release
position, the stop
element(s) 257a, 257b project(s) beyond the mentioned at least one clamping
jaw 254a, 254b,
such that, for loading the target loading aid 34, 134, the at least one
article carrier 3 may be
stacked onto the target loading aid 34, 134 unhindered by the at least one
loading
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 97 -
tongue 252a, 252b. This is shown in Figs. 15j to 15k. This embodiment is
advantageous as the
clamping of the article carrier 3 may be maintained until just before the
article carrier 3 is dis-
charged.
Basically, it is also conceivable that the first clamping jaw 254a and the
second clamping
jaw 254b are each additionally movable in the first direction (y) relative to
the frame 250 into
a retracted release position by means of a fifth drive device 260a, 260b.
As can be seen in the figures, the second drive device 253a, 253b and one of
multiple stop el-
ements 257a, 257b of the stop device are also mounted at the first or second
clamping jaw
frame 258a, 258b. If the fifth drive device 260a, 260b is present as well, it
is also mounted at
the first or second clamping jaw frame 258a, 258b.
The unloading device 32; 65; 75; 132 comprises a control device 261, as
schematically shown
in Fig. 13a, which is connected to the first drive device 251a, 251b, the
second drive de-
vice 253a, 253b, the third drive device 255 and, if applicable, the fourth
drive device 259,
and, if applicable, the fifth drive device 260a, 260b. The first, second,
third, and, if applicable,
fourth, fifth drive devices 251a, 251b, 253a, 253b, 255, (259), (260a, 260b)
comprise electric
and/or fluidic linear drives, for example.
The transfer device 147 may also be equipped with a first sensor mechanism, by
means of
which the removal operation may be monitored during removal of the at least
one article car-
rier 3 from the transport loading aid 7, 107. For example, a stack height of
the article carrier
stack 8 is detected. Based on the stack height and by detection of the article
carriers 3 which
are to be unloaded at the unloading device 32; 65; 75; 132, the exact
receiving level at which
the loading tongue(s) 252a, 252b are to be extended into the receiving
position may be deter-
mined. According to the embodiment shown, the first sensor mechanism
comprises, at the
first or second clamping jaw frame 258a, 258b, pivotably mounted sensing
fingers 262a,
262b, which are pivoted outward in their starting position (Fig. 13a, 13b) and
pivoted inward
in their actuating position (Fig. 14a, 14b). The starting position and the
actuating position may
be detected by means of an inductive proximity switch (initiator), which is
not shown. Prefer-
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 98 -
ably, the sensing fingers 262a, 262b are autonomously pivoted outward into the
starting posi-
tion. In the alternative, however, the first sensor mechanism may also
comprise one or multi-
ple contactless sensors, for example optical sensors, which may serve the same
purpose.
On the other hand, the unloading device 32; 65; 75; 132 may be equipped with
the first sensor
mechanism, by means of which a stack height of the article carrier stack 8 may
be detected
during removal of the at least one article carrier 3 from the transport
loading aid 7, 107, as is
not shown in detail. The first sensor mechanism comprises, for example, an
image capturing
system having at least one camera and one image evaluation unit.
The transfer device 147 may also be equipped with a second sensor mechanism,
by means of
which the loading operation may be monitored during loading of the target
loading aid 34,
134. For example, a stack height of the order stack 101 and/or proper loading
of an article car-
rier 3 on the order stack 101, as well as the
positioning/orientation/inclination of the article
carriers 3 in the order stack 101 are detected. Moreover, collision monitoring
prior to loading
of the target loading aid 34, 134 is possible.
The second sensor mechanism may comprise one or multiple contactless sensors.
for example
optical sensors. On the other hand, the transfer device 147 and/or the
unloading device 32; 65:
75; 132 may be equipped with the second sensor mechanism, which may serve the
same pur-
pose. The second sensor mechanism comprises, for example, an image capturing
system hav-
ing at least one camera and one image evaluation unit.
However, the control device 261 may also be connected to the first sensor
mechanism and the
second sensor mechanism.
In jointly described Figs. 15a to 15g, a method or a sequence for unloading a
transport loading
aid, for example a transport loading aid 107 with article carriers 3 stacked
on top of one an-
other in an accommodating shaft, by means of clamping gripping. The article
carriers 3 have a
first longitudinal dimension, for example 600 mm. One width is 400 mm, for
example. The
unloading device 32; 65; 75; 132 is not shown in these figures for the sake of
clarity.
Fig. 15a (step i) shows the movement of the transfer device 147 relative to
the transport load-
ing aid 107 by the control device 261 controlling the spatially movable
transfer device 147. It
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 99 -
can be seen that the sensing fingers 262a, 262b are still positioned above the
uppermost article
carrier 3.
Figure 15b (step ii) shows the positioning of the transfer device 147 relative
to the article car-
rier stack 8, in particular with the aid of the first sensor mechanism. If the
first sensor mecha-
nism comprises the sensing fingers 262a, 262b, the sensing fingers 262a, 262b
are actuated by
a lowering motion of the transfer device 147, such that they are moved into
the actuating posi-
tion. As already described above, the positioning of the transfer device 147
relative to the arti-
cle carrier stack 8 may also be carried out by an optical sensor or an image
processing system
(first sensor mechanism).
As shown in 15c (step iii), the transfer device 147 has reached the desired
relative position
(height position (z), width position (x) and depth position (y)) in which the
clamping
jaws 254a, 254b are positioned laterally beside article carrier walls 265a,
265b (see also
Fig. 14a) of an article carrier 3. The clamping jaws 254a, 254b are in the
retracted opened po-
sition. The transfer device 147 remains in the relative position until the
steps according to
Figs. 15d to 15f (steps iv to vii) have been performed.
Fig. 15d (step iv) shows the clamping of the article carrier 3 by actuating
the at least one sec-
ond drive device 253a, 253b for moving the clamping jaws 254a, 254b in the
second direction
(x) relative to one another and from a retracted opened position into the
abutting clamping po-
sition, and lifting of the article carrier 3 of at least one stack layer by
the clamping jaws 254a,
254b placed against the article carrier 3 by actuating the at least one third
drive device 255 for
moving the lift frame 256 in the third direction (z) relative to the base
frame 250 and moving
the clamping jaws 254a, 254b out of the lower height position into the upper
height position.
Fig. 15e (step v) shows the sliding of both loading tongues 252a, 252b under
the lifted article
carrier 3 by actuating the first drive devices 251a, 251b relative to the base
frame 250 to re-
ceive the article carrier 3 in the extended receiving position.
Fig. 15f (step vi) and Fig. 14a show the receiving position of the loading
tongues 252a, 252b,
in which the loading tongues 252a, 252b are completely extracted and the
article carrier 3
loads the loading tongues 252a, 252b. It may be advantageous in an optional
step vii) if the
clamping of the article carrier 3 is released for a short period of time by
actuating the at least
one drive device 253a, 253b by moving at least one of the clamping jaws 254a,
254b in the
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 100 -
second direction (x) from the abutting clamping position into the retracted
opened position,
such that the article carrier 3 tilts onto the loading tongues 252a, 252b.
If optional step vii) is carried out, the article carrier 3 is subsequently
clamped again by actu-
ating the at least one drive device 253a, 253b by moving the clamping jaws
254a, 254b in the
second direction (x) relative to one another and from a retracted opened
position into the abut-
ted clamping position.
Fig. 15a shows the movement of the transfer device 147 relative to the
transport loading
aid 107 by the control device 261 controlling the spatially movable transfer
device 147.
The control device 261 is configured for controlling the transfer device 147
and the first/sec-
ond/third drive device(s) 251a, 251b, 253a, 253b, 255 for unloading an article
carrier 3 so as
to carry out the method steps i) to vii).
In jointly described Figs. 15h to 15n, a method or a sequence for loading a
target loading aid,
for example a target loading aid 34 in a stack loading aid 100a, is shown. For
the sake of clar-
ity, only sections of the stack loading aid 100a are shown.
After step vi) or, if applicable, step vii), the transfer device 147 with the
article carrier 3 held
between the clamping jaws 254a, 254b is moved relative to the target loading
aid 34 by the
control device 261 controlling the spatially movable transfer device 147, as
shown in Fig. 15h
(step i).
Fig. 15h shows that the target loading aid 34 has already been loaded with
some article earn-
ers 3. The additional article carrier 3 is to be parked on the article carrier
3', which is shown
hatched and is already at the target loading aid 34. The article carrier 3' is
in the edge region
of the stack wall 206b.
Figure 15i (step ii) shows the positioning of the transfer device 147 (with
the additional article
carrier 3) relative to the order stack 101, in particular with the aid of the
second sensor mecha-
nism. In Fig. 15i, the transfer device 147 and/or the article carrier 3 in are
in an intel mediate
position (height position (z), width position (x) and/or depth position (y)).
Fig. 15j) (step iii) shows how for loading the target loading aid 34, the
clamping jaw 254b,
which faces the stack wall 206b, is moved in the first direction (y) relative
to the frame 250
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
=
- 101 -
and into the retracted release position by means of the fifth drive device
260b. As can be seen,
the stop element(s) 257a, 257b project(s) beyond the mentioned clamping jaw
254b after the
latter has been moved into the release position.
Fig. 15k (step iv) shows the positioning of the transfer device 147 and/or of
the article car-
rier 3 from the intermediate position (height position (z), width position (x)
and/or depth posi-
tion (y)) into the end position (height position (z), width position (x) and
depth position (y)),
in which the additional article carrier 3 may be loaded onto the article
carrier 3' already lo-
cated at the target loading aid 34. The article carrier 3 may be positioned
into the end position
by moving the transfer device 147.
Fig. 151 (step v) shows the movement of the clamping jaw 254a from the
abutting clamping
position into the retracted opened position. The article carrier 3 still
stands on the loading
tongues 252a, 252b if both loading tongues 252a, 252b have been moved into the
receiving
position, or on one of the loading tongues 252a, 252b if only one of the
loading tongues 252a,
252b has been moved into the receiving position.
Fig. 15m (step vi) shows loading/discharge of the article carrier 3 onto the
article carrier 3'.
For this purpose, the loading tongues 252a, 252b are moved into the retracted
starting position
if both loading tongues 252a, 252b have been moved into the receiving
position, or the one
loading tongue 252a, 252b is moved into the retracted starting position if
only one of the load-
ing tongues 252a, 252b has been moved into the receiving position.
Fig. 15n shows the movement of the transfer device 147 relative to the
transport loading
aid 107 by the control device 261 controlling the spatially movable transfer
device 147.
It should be noted at this point that, from the transfer device 147, either an
individual article
carrier 3 or a partial article carrier stack may be removed from the transport
loading aid 7, 107
and loaded onto the target loading aid 34, 134. Instead of an article carrier
3 having the first
longitudinal dimension (for example 600 mm), two article carriers 3 having the
second longi-
tudinal dimension (for example 300 mm) may simultaneously be removed from the
transport
loading aid 7, 107 and loaded onto the target loading aid 34, 134. The width
dimensions are
preferably identical, for example 400 mm.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 102 -
It is also possible that for stabilizing the order stack 101, one or multiple
empty article carri-
ers 3 are stacked between stack layers in a stack plane. If the article
carriers are collapsible
containers, a collapsed container or multiple collapsed containers are stacked
in a stack plane
between stack layers. This is also carried out automatically by the transfer
device 147.
In jointly described Figs. 16a to 16n, a method or a sequence for unloading a
transport loading
aid, for example a transport loading aid 107 with article carriers 3, 3
stacked on top of one
another in an accommodating shaft and arranged next to one another in a stack
layer, by
means of clamping gripping. The article carriers 3, 3 'have a second
longitudinal dimension.
for example 300 ram. One width is 400 mm, for example. The unloading device
32; 65; 75;
132 is not shown in these figures for the sake of clarity.
Fig. 16a (step i) shows the movement of the transfer device 147 relative to
the transport load-
ing aid 107 by the control device 261 controlling the spatially movable
transfer device 147. It
can be seen that the sensing fingers 262a, 262b are still positioned above the
uppermost article
carriers 3, 3'.
Figure 16b (step ii) shows the positioning of the transfer device 147 relative
to the article car-
rier stacks 8, 8', in particular with the aid of the second sensor mechanism.
If the first sensor
mechanism comprises the sensing fingers 262a, 262b, the sensing fingers 262a,
262b are actu-
ated by a lowering motion of the transfer device 147, such that they are moved
into the actuat-
ing position. As already described above, the positioning of the transfer
device 147 relative to
the article carrier stacks 8. 8' may also be carried out by one or multiple
optical sensor(s) or
an image processing system (first sensor mechanism).
As shown in Fig. 16c and Fig. 16d (step iii), the transfer device 147 has
reached the desired
relative position (height position (z), width position (x) and depth position
(y)) in which the
clamping jaws 254a, 254b are positioned laterally beside article carrier walls
265a facing
away from one another of article carriers 3, 3' arranged next to one another.
The clamping
jaws 254a, 254b are in the retracted opened position. The transfer device 147
remains in the
relative position until the steps according to Figs. 16d to 16n (steps iv to
ix) have been per-
formed.
Figs. 16e and Fig.16f (step iv) show the clamping of the article carriers 3,
3' arranged next to
one another by actuating the at least one second drive device 253a, 253b for
moving the
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 103 -
clamping jaws 254a, 254b in the second direction (x) relative to one another
and from a re-
tracted opened position into the abutting clamping position, and
simultaneously lifting the ar-
ticle carriers 3, 3' arranged next to one another of at least one stack layer
by the clamping
jaws 254a, 254b placed against the article carriers 3, 3' by actuating the at
least one third
drive device 255 for moving the lift frame 256 in the third direction (z)
relative to the base
frame 250 and moving the clamping jaws 254a, 254b out of the lower height
position into the
upper height position.
Fig. 16g and Fig. 16h (step v) show sliding one of the loading tongues 252a,
252b, namely
specifically of loading tongue 252b, under one of the article carriers 3
lifted and arranged next
to one another by actuating one of the first drive devices 251a, 251b, namely
specifically the
first drive device 251b, relative to the base frame 250 to receive the one of
the article carri-
ers 3 in the extended receiving position.
Fig. 16i and Fig. 16j (step vi) show the receiving position of the loading
tongue 252b, in
which the loading tongue 252b is completely extracted and the article carrier
3 loads the load-
ing tongue 252b.
Fig. 16k and Fig. 161 (step vii) show the short releasing of the clamping of
the article carriers
3, 3' by actuating the at least one second drive device 253a, 253b in order to
move at least one
of the clamping jaws 254a, 254b in the second direction (x) from the abutting
clamping posi-
tion into the retracted opened position, such that the article carrier 3',
which is not supported
from below, tilts back onto the article stack 8' in the transport loading aid
107.
Fig. 16m (step viii) shows the change of the configuration width from the
first configuration
width (see Figs. 16k, 161) to the second configuration width (Fig. 16m) by
means of the at
least one fourth drive device 259 in a second direction (x).
Fig. 16n (step ix) shows the clamping of the article carrier 3, which is
received on the loading
tongue 252a moved into the extended receiving position, by actuating the at
least one second
drive device 253a, 253b for moving the clamping jaws 254a, 254b relative to
one another in
the second direction (x) and from a retracted opened position into the
abutting clamping posi-
tion.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
=
- 104 -
Fig. 16o shows the movement of the transfer device 147 relative to the
transport loading
aid 107 by the control device 261 controlling the spatially movable transfer
device 147.
The control device 261 is configured for controlling the transfer device 147
and the first/sec-
ond/third drive device(s) 251a, 251b, 253a, 253b, 255, 259 for unloading an
article carrier 3
so as to carry out the method steps i) to ix).
If after loading the target loading aid 34, 134 with the article carrier 3,
the article carrier 3' is
supposed to be loaded onto the target loading aid 34, 134 as well, for
unloading according to
method steps i) to vii), the approach according to Figs. 15a to 15f is carried
out, with the mere
difference that the second configuration width remains adjusted or is
adjusted, in which the
article carrier 3' with the second longitudinal dimension is received between
the first clamp-
ing jaw 254a and the second clamping jaw 254b.
As regards the loading of a target loading aid, reference is made to the
disclosure regarding
Figs. 15h to 15m, and it is carried out in the same manner, with the mere
difference that the
article carrier 3 is unloaded by means of one of the loading tongues 252a,
252b.
It should be noted at this point that, by means of the transfer device 147,
either an individual
article carrier 3, 3' or a partial article carrier stack may be removed from
the transport loading
aid 7, 107 and loaded onto the target loading aid 34, 134.
The described picking storage and method for storing and picking is
particularly suitable for
the fresh food sector where perishable goods, such as fresh fruit and
vegetables, require a fast
turnover of articles and usually only a limited number of different types have
to be picked at
the same time. The articles 2 / article carrier 3 may be handled particularly
efficiently with a
high picking performance in short periods of time.
Finally, it should also be noted that the scope of protection is determined by
the claims. How-
ever, the description and the drawings are to be adduced for construing the
claims. Individual
features or feature combinations from the different exemplary embodiments
shown and de-
scribed may represent independent inventive solutions.
In particular, it should also be noted that the devices shown may in reality
comprise more or
fewer components than those shown. In some cases, the shown devices and/or
their compo-
nents may not be depicted to scale and/or be enlarged and/or reduced in size.
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
,
- 105 -
.
15
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 106 -
List of reference numbers
la.. id picking storage
2 article(s)
3 article carrier
4 delivery zone
storage area
6 order processing zone
7, 7a. 7f transport loading aid
8 article carrier stack
8' (pre-)picked article carrier stack
8" (pre-)picked article carrier partial stack
9 transport vehicle (floor conveyor)
article carrier stack group
11 depalletizing device
12a, 12b conveying device
13 loading device
14a, 14b conveying device
15a, 15b transfer location
16a, 16b service location
17 transfer device loading device
18 support construction
19 gantry slide
gantry arm
buffer surface loading station
31 storage surface
32 unloading device
33 conveying device
34a. .34c target loading aid
conveying device
36 buffer surface unloading station / reloading station
37 waiting zone
40a. .40b service location
41 transfer device unloading device / reloading device
42 support construction
43 gantry slide
44 gantry slide
gantry arm
46 order-processing computer
47 control system
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 107 -
50 chassis
51 loading platform
52 wheel
53 steerable wheel
54 drive control
55 base
56a first side wall
56b, 56d first side wall
56e second side wall
57 loading and unloading opening
57a, 57b loading and unloading opening
58 parking surface
59 transport surface
60 adjustable foot
61 lead-in chamfer
65 unloading device
66 buffer surface
66a, 66b buffer surface
67a, 67b service location
68a, 68b conveying device
69 transfer device
70a, 70b take-over location
71a, 71b service location
75 unloading device
76 buffer surface
76a, 76b buffer surface
77a, 77b service location
81 support construction
82 gantry slide
83 overhead arm
84 transfer device
90 cleaning robot
91a, 91b temperature zone
92a, 92b data carrier
92c data carrier
100a, 100b stack loading aid
101 order stack
107 transport loading aid
112a, 112b conveying device
113 loading device
114a, 114b conveying device
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 108 -
117 transfer device
118 support construction
119 gantry slide
120 gantry arm
132 unloading device
134 target loading aid
136 buffer surface stack loading aid
139a..139b service location stack loading aid automatic unloading device
142 support construction
143 gantry slide
144 gantry arm
145 gantry slide
146 gantry slide
147 transfer device unloading device / reloading device
150 transport loading aid
151 unloading device
152a service location transport loading aid automatic unloading device
152b service location stack loading aid automatic unloading device
153a buffer surface transport loading aid
153b buffer surface stack loading aid
154a, 154b lifting platform
155 working area
156 working surface
160 loading device
161 service location second loading device
162 transfer device
163 buffer surface
170 lading device
171 service location lading device
172 transfer device
173 buffer surface
180 load securing device
181 securing means
182 service location
183 lift frame
184 telescopic fork
185 buffer surface
200a, 200b side wall part
201a, 201b base wall part
205 base
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
- 109
206a, 206b stack wall
207 parking surface
208 transport surface
210 receiving channel
211 receiving block
212 adjustable foot
250 base frame
251a, 251b first drive device loading tongue
252a, 252b loading tongue
253a, 253b second drive device clamping jaw
254a, 254b clamping jaw
255 third drive device lift frame
256 lift frame
257a, 257b stop element
258a, 258b clamping jaw frame
259 fourth drive device adjustment width configuration
260a, 260b fifth drive device clamping jaw release position
261 control device
262a, 262b sensing finger
265a, 265b article carrier wall
Date recue/ date received 2021-01-20
